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PEE FACE. 



My only apology for having this Pamphlet published is that 
I think it is needed. I find that there are but few persons, 
anywhere in this country, who pretend to know anything 
definitely as to the Doctrines and Practice of the Old Waldenses 
and Albigenses. My attention was incidentally turned to the 
subject a few years ago, and I have examined it as my facilities 
enabled me to do. I have tried to get other Histories, than those 
from which I quote, but failed. I believe Perrin's History is 
considered one of the most reliable extant. I have it and some 
others. I have frequently been asked what were the peculiar 
doctrines of the Waldenses. I have also been solicted by several 
of my brethren in the ministry to write out and publish a 
synopsis of the Doctrines of the Waldenses. TWe are many 
other interesting facts, in the History of that rem^kable people 
that I would publish if I had the means. This is intended to 
fill a place in the Church that nothing else fills. 

M. M. SMITH. 

Fembroke, Ey., May 16th, 1866. 



^5^-^ 



AN EPITOME 

OF TEE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE OF THE OLD WAIDENSES AND ALBIGENSES, 



CHAPTER I. 



As THE origin and antiquity of tlie Waldenses and Albigenses 
is a matter of interest, I will devote the first chapter to those two 
points. 

1. Their Origin. — Historians are not agreed as to the origin 
of this people, Mosheim, with several other writers of Church 
history, maintains that they originated in thetwelth Century, and 
that Peter Waldus was their founder. "Of all the sects that 
arose in this (12th) century, not one was more distinguished by 
the reputation it acquired, by the multitude of its votaries, and 
the testimony which its bitterest enemies bore to the probity and 
innocence of its members, than that of the Waldenses, so called 
from their parent and founder, Peter Waldus." Mosheim's 
Church His., Part II., Chap. 5, Sec. 11. 

Perrin himself agrees with Mosheim, as to the name being 
derived from Peter Waldus ; but he shows that they existed as 
a separate body of Christians long before Waldus. Other 
writers maintain that they derived their name from the countries 
in which they lived ; and this seems to me the more plausible. 
Robinson in his Ecclesiastical Researches, chap. 10th, pp. 302, 
303, gives what I think is the true solution to this question. 
He says : "From the Latin vallis, came the English valley ; the 
French and Spanish valle ; the Italian valdesi ; the Low Dutch 
valleye ; the Provencal vaux, vaudois ; the Ecclesiastical Vallen- 



b AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTKINES AND PRACTICE 

ses, YaldenseSj Ualdenses, and Waldenses. The words simply 
signify valleys, the inhabitants of valleys and no more. It hap- 
pened that the inhabitants of the Pyrenees did not profess the 
Catholic faith. It fell out also that the inhabitants of the val- 
leys about the Alps did not embrace that faith. ' It happened, 
moreover, in the ninth century, that one Valdo, a friend and 
counsellor of Berengarius, and a man of eminence, who had 
many followers, did not approve of the Papal discipline and doc- 
trine. And it came to pass, about a hundred and thirty years 
after, that a rich merchant of Lyons, who was called Yaldus,- be- 
cause he received his religious opinions from the inhabitants of 
the valleys, openly disavowed the Koman religion, supported 
many to teach the doctrines believed in the valleys, and became 
the instrument of the conversion of great numbers. All these 
people were called Waldenses." 

From this paragraph of Kobinson's, it appears that Yaldus, 
(or Waldus), was one hundred and thirty years too late, to have 
given name to the Waldenses. Dr. Allix, an eminent historian, 
in his researches for the origin of the Waldenses, arrives at the 
same conclusion to which Eobinson came, as we find in a note at 
the bottom of the 23d page of Perrin's History^ from the pen of 
Dr. Bray. We give it in Dr. Bray's language. ^' From the in- 
advertency of divers Protestant writers, and even Perrin, as well 
as from the malice of the Romanists and their Inquisitors, the 
Churches of Milan and the subalpine Waldenses, are derived 
from Peter Waldo, as if it were he that first founded them. The 
contrary of late has most clearly been demonstrated by Allix, in 
his Plistory of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont, and also in 
his History of the Albigenses. ' Allix proves, that the Waldenses 
separated themselves from the Papacy long before Waldo of 
Lyons ; and that the name of Waldenses or Yaudois was given 
them from the place of their abode, which the inhabitants called 
"Les valles de Lucerne et Angrogne,'' the valleys of Lucerne and 
Angrogne ; whence came the Latin name Yallenses, which after- 
wards was changed to Yaldenses, when the fallacious design was 
laid to make the world believe that Waldo was their first founder. 
Excepting this mistake, John Paul Perrin of Lyons, has given a 
true and most excellent history of the Waldensian Churches. As 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 7 

the title of Vallenses, the ancient name of the Yaudois, was taken 
from the place of their habitation, and not from the name of 
Waldo ; so his disciples and descendants were dispersed into 
other places, and not among the valleys of the Alps. AUix con- 
fesses indeed that some of Waldo's disciples probably joined 
themselves with the churches in the valleys of Piedmont, being 
constrained to it by the persecutions which dispersed them far 
and near. But Waldo was not the founder of the churches of 
the valleys, which were in existence long before him. ••'* '•' * 
It was only the malice of their enemies, and the desire to blot 
out the memorial of their antiquity, which made their adversaries 
imj)Ute their origin to so late a period, and to Peter Waldo." 
The learned Beza, gives us some valuable information upon this 
point as we find in a note at the bottom of the 291st page of 
Mosheim's History, put there by the translator. Speaking of 
Mosheim's position he says : ^' We may venture to afl&rm the 
contrary, with the learned Beza and other writers of note ; for it 
seems evident from the best records, that Waldus derived his 
name from the true Valdenses of Piedmont, whose doctrine he 
adopted, and who were known by the names of Vaudois and 
Valdenses, before he or his immediate followers existed. 

" If the Valdenses had derived their name from any eminent 
teacher, it would probably have been from Valdo, who was re- 
markable for the purity of his doctrine in the 9 th century, and 
was the contemporary and chief counsellor of Berengarius. But 
the truth is, that they derived their name from their valleys in 
Piedmont, which in their language are called vaux ; hence Vau- 
dois, their true name ; hence Peter of Lyons, was called in Latin 
Valdus, because he had adopted their doctrine ; and hence the 
term Valdenses and Waldenses used by those who write in English 
or Latin, in the place of Vaudois. The bloody Inquisitor Reinerus 
Sacco, who exerted such a furious zeal for the destruction of the 
Waldenses, but about 80 years after Valdus of Lyons, and must 
therefore be supposed to have known whether he was the real 
founder of the Valdenses or Leonists ; and yet it is remarkable 
that he speaks of the Leonists (mentioned by Dr. Mosheim in this 
section, as synonymous with Waldenses) as a sect that had flour- 
ished above 500 years, even mentions authors of note, who make 



8 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

their antiquity remount to the apostolic age. See the account 
given of Sacco's book by the Jesuit Gretser in the Bibliotheca 
Patrum. I know not upon what principle Dr. Mosheim maintains 
that the inhabitants of the valleys of Piedmont are to be care- 
fully distinguished from the Waldenses ; and I am persuaded that 
whoever will be at the pains to read attentively the 2d, 25th, 26th 
and 27th chapters of the first book of Leger's Histoire G-enerale des 
Eglises Yaudoises, will find this distinction entirely groundless. 
When the papists ask us where our religion was before Lu- 
ther, we generally answer, in the Bible ; and we answer well. 
But to gratify their taste for tradition and human authority, 
we may add to this answer, and in the valleys of Piedmont." 
The testimony presented, shows that Peter Waldo was not the 
originator of the doctrine of the Waldenses ; but that his doc- 
trine and teaching was similar to theirs. Nor does it appear 
that they derived their name from him in any sense whatever. 
They had both, their doctrines and name, long before the time of 
Waldo. As to the name, it has been spelled and pronounced 
difierently, in different languages. In the Waldensian language, 
it was originally Vaudois ; in the Latin Valdenses ; and in the 
English Waldenses. The Waldenses and Albigenses, in their 
doctrines and practice were the s*ame. "The Albigenses, vrho are 
treated of in this history, did not differ from the Waldenses in 
faith, but were only so called from the country of Albi where 
they dwelt, and Avhence at first they derived their original. The 
Popes condemned them as Waldenses. The legates made war 
upon them as professors of the faith of the Waldenses. The 
monks inquisitors formed their process and indictments as against 
Waldenses. The people persecuted them as such, and they 
themselves looked upon that title as an honor, being very well 
assured of the purity of their doctrine, as the same with that of 
the Waldenses. In respect whereof several historians call them 
Waldenses. We shall distinguish them therefore not by their 
faith, but by the place wherein they lived and by the particular 
wars that they suffered for above fifty years." Perrin, p. 129. 
They lived in the valleys about the Alps and Pyrenees mountains, 
some in France and some in Italy. Perrin in treating of the doc- 
trines of the Waldenses and Albigenses, treats them both under 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBLGENSES. 9 



R< 



like same h^ad. He does this because their faith is the same. 
T?hat Peter Waldo did not give name and origin to the Walden- 
ses, is conclusive from the fact, that he did not assume the 
character of a public teacher, until the year 1180, and we have 
in Perrin's History, a well authenticated Confession of Faith, 
copied out of their own manuscripts bearing date 1120. This is 
sixty years before Waldo. There is another well authenticated 
document of theirs, called "The Noble Lesson," which Perrin 
translated from an authentic manuscript in the original Wal- 
densian language, dated in the year 1100. This date is not only 
given to the document, but it is incorporated in it by the writer 
of it. It commences: 

1. "0 Brethren, attend to this excellent lesson ; we should 
often watch and pr^y, for we see this world is near to a close ; 
we should be very careful to do good works, seeing that the bnd 
of this world is at hand. 

" One thousand and one hundred years are now completed 
since it was written, ' It is the last time.^'' 

This " Koble Lesson" was written eighty years before Waldo 
commenced his public teaching. I will give a synopsis of this 
lesson in its proper place. The evidence is now conclusive to my 
mind, that the Waldenses, for at least eighty years before Waldo, 
had a well defined system of doctrines, name and language. Some 
-authors maintain, that Waldo never had any particular connec- 
tion with the Waldenses, in any way ; but that after his death 
his followers spread themselves amongst the Albigenses. I am 
not of the opinion that the Waldenses ever derived their doctrines 
or their name from any one man as their leader ; but that they 
were a body of Christian people, living in the valleys of Piedmont, 
and derived their name from their valleys, and their doctrines 
from the Bible. 

2. Their Antiquity. — That the Waldenses were of ancient 
origin is very clear, but to fix the time when they became a sepa- 
rate and distinct body of people, is not an easy matter. Mosheim 
says they originated in the twelth century, but it would be as 
difficult a matter, to reconcile this with their own history, as to 
determine the exact time of their origin. Some of their well au- 
thenticated documents are dated as far back as the year 1100. 



10 AN EPIT6fc OF THE DOCTKINES AND PEACTICM 

Dr. Bray says, " It was only the malice of their enemies, and the 
desire to blot out the memorial of their antiquity, which made their 
adversaries impute their origin to so late a period, and to Peter 
Waldo/' In " The Noble Lesson," which is dated in the year 1100, 
they say nothing that intimates that they were then just beginning 
to proj)agate their doctrines, but rather to the contrary of this. 
" Now after the Apostles there were certain teachers, who showed 
the way of Jesus Christ our Saviour ; and some of these are 
found even at this present time, but they are known to very few. 
They have a great desire to point out the way of Jesus Christ ; 
but are so persecuted, that they can do but little/' Perrin, p. 
269. At this date, we find in this '' Noble Lesson," that they 
were called Waldenses. After setting forth the character of one 
that loves God, and what such a one will do and also what he 
will not do, they then say he "is called a Waldense." , The 
Waldenses maintain that their doctrines were purely apos- 
tolical, and that they were conserved from father to son, from 
the Apostles down to them. Perrin produces a number of letters 
of remonstrance against the encroachments of the Roman Catho- 
lics, in which the Waldenses complain that they are wrongfully 
persecuted, because they hold no other doctrine than that held 
by the Apostles. 

Reinerius, one of the bitterest enemies the Waldenses ever had, 
and one of the most virulent inquisitors, acknowleges "that 
among all the sects which are, or ever were, none have been more 
pernicious to Rome than that of the Leonists (Waldenses) ; and 
among other causes he gives this as the first, that it is most an- 
cient of all ; since some affirm, that it has continued from the 
time of Sylvester, or from the times of the Apostles." 

" As for the first five hundred years after Christ, there cannot 
so much as one sentence be produced out of any one father and 
council, for the Papists against the Protestants. In the next cen- 
tury, the year 606, Boniface III., Bishop of Rome, with the con- 
sent and approbation of the usurper, traitor, and murderer, 
Phocas the emperor, took upon him the title of universal bishop 
in which he was confirmed by a council held in Rome the year 
following. After this, corruptions and heresies rapidly crept into 
the Church of Rome, which were still opposed by some writers of 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 11 

the western churches, both in that, and the eighth century ; about 
the end of which, in the year 794, the Emperor Charles the Great 
having called a council at Frankfort, with the western churches 
jointly endeavored to have drawn Pope Adrian and the Church of 
Rome, out of that gulph of superstition and idolatry, into which 
they were fallen, by persuading them to embrace the doctrine of 
Christ and his Apostles. But that design proving ineffectual, 
Louis the emperor, son and successor to Charles, undertook and 
prosecuted the same in the ninth century ; and in order there- 
unto, among other things, he prefered to the Archbishopric of 
Turin, of which the valleys of Piedmont are a part, Claudius, 
chief chancellor to Charles the G-reat, and one of the most re- 
nowned men of his age, as well for piety and learning, in the 
year 815. But that good man finding that he could not resist 
that mighty torrent of superstitious and idolatrous blasphemies, 
which were taught and practiced at Rome, endeavored to keep 
his own diocese from being infected with them, and to this end 
' he told his people ' that they ought not to run to Rome for 
the pardon of their sins, nor have recourse to the saints or 
their relics ; that the Church is not founded on Peter, much less 
upon the Pope, but upon the doctrine of the Apostles ; that 
they aught not to worship images, nor have them in their 
churches.' " This quotation, and the preceding one are taken from 
the preface of the History of the Yaudois, written by Dr. Bray. 
The facts stated in this quotation, as to the corruptions of the 
Church of Rome, agree with the general history of the Church of 
this period. And furthermore, that as the Church of Rome went 
into superstition and idolatry, the churches situated in the val- 
leys of Piedmont gradually withdrew from her and held on to the 
doctrines of Christ and his Apostles. Those Christains and 
churches situated in the valleys of Piedmont in the sixth and 
seventh centuries, I believe to be the ancestors of the churches and 
people that subsequently received the name of Waldenses, in the 
same valleys. In the year 1535, the Waldenses had a French 
Bible printed, and in the preface to that they say, ''that they had 
always fully enjoyed that heavenly truth contained in the Holy 
Scriptures, ever since they were enriched with the same, by the 
Apostles themselves." This may be seen in Morland's History, 



12 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

p. II. The WaldenseSj as far as their history shows, never spake 
of their doctrines otherwise than that they were apostolical. We 
cannot determine when those people were first called Waldenses, 
but we verily believe that their doctrines and worship were re- 
tained in their original purity from the time Paul preached in 
Italy. Dr. Bray, in the continuation of the history of the Vaudois 
after Perrin, says, " the inhabitants of the valleys of Piedmont, 
received the doctrine of the Gospel, in the times of the Apostles, 
either from the Apostles themselves, or by those who imme- 
diately succeeded them;" p. ^289. It is certain that Paul preached 
in Italy, and as Piedmont is a part of Italy, it is not improbable 
that he preached there also. 

Keinerius Sacco, who flourished in the twelth century, and 
bowed at the shrine of Romanism, and exerted an untiring zeal 
for the destruction of the Waldenses, confesses, that they as a 
sect, had existed above five hundred years, and mentioned authors 
of note, who make their antiquity remount to the apostolical age. 
Be that as it may, their doctrines have been conserved from fa-* 
ther to son with remarkable purity. 



CHAPTER 11. 

CertaIx7 anti-pedobaptist writers of the present century, 
claim that the doctrines held by their respective denominations 
are purely apostotical ; and also that their churches and ministry 
are connected to the apostles by regular succession. They claim, 
furthermore, that the Waldensian churches were anti-pedobap- 
tist, and through them endeavor to show their succession from 
the A^postles. The history and doctrines of the Waldenses, as 
given by Perrin, savors but little of Baptist proclivities. That 
they were pedobaptists, is evident, if Perrin writes a truthful 
history. I will present the evidence of the fact in this chapter. 

In order to render the Waldenses obnoxious to their king, the 
Romish priests, sometime in the twelfth century, brought against 
them fourteen charges of crime, as they supposed, which are 
given in detail by Perrin — p. 26. The fourth is, " That they 



OF THE OLD WALDENSeS AND ALBIGENSES. 13 

rejected the baptism of infants." The Waldenses answered 
these charges in writing, one by one, and sent their answer to the 
king, that the falsity of the charges might appear to him. Per- 
rin says that he had their apology in their own tongue, and from 
it he copies their answer — p. 28. "The fourth calumny was con- 
cerning baptism, which, it is said they denied to infants. From 
this imputation they quit themselves as follows : ^ Neither is 
the time or place appointed for those who must be baptized ; but 
charity, and the edification of the Church and Congregation, 
ought to be the rule in this matter ; yet, notwithstanding, we 
bring our children to he baptized; which they ought to do to 
whom they are nearest related ; as their parents, or those whom 
God hath inspired with such a charity.' This is their 
own answer to the charge, ' That they denied baptism to in- 
fants.'" Then Perrin adds, "True it is, that being for some hun- 
dreds of years constrained to suffer their children to be baptized 
by the Komish priests, they deferred the doing of it as long as 
possible, because they detested the human inventions annexed 
to the institution of that holy sacrament, which they looked up- 
on as pollutions of it. Their Pastors, whom they called Barbs, 
being often in travels abroad for the service of their churches, 
they could not have baptism administered to their children by 
their own ministry. They therefore sometimes kept them long 
without baptism, upon which delay the priests charged with them 
that reproach. To which, not only their adversaries have given 
credit, but many of those also who have approved of their lives 
and faith in all other points." 

We remark upon this matter, 1st, That they not only deny 
the charge, but regard it as a duty to have their children bap- 
tized. 2d, That Perrin, who had in his possession a great variety 
of their writings — some in the form of sermons, some in tracts 
on different points in theology, and some in pamphlets — pro- 
nounces this charge a reproach. We remark further, that he 
had every means necessary to know whether it was a reproach or 
not. 

"King Louis XII. of France, having received information 
from the enemies of the Waldenses, dwelling in Provence, of 
several heuious crimes which they fathered upon them, sent to 



14 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PBACTICE 

the place Adam Fumee, inaster of requests^ and a Sorbonist doc- 
tor, called Parni, who was his confessor, to make inqunies into 
the matter. They visited all their parishes and temples, and 
neither found there any images, or signs of the ornaments be- 
longing to the mass, or ceremonies of the Romish Church ; much 
less could they discover any of those crimes with which they were 
charged. But rather that they kepi the sabbath duly, caused 
their cliildixn to he baptized according to the primative Church, 
taught them the articles of the Christian faith, and the com- 
mandments of God. The King having heard the report of the 
said commissioners, said, with an oath, that they were better 
men than himself or his people.'' — Perrin, p. 36. This occurred 
in 1506. 

The Catholics never favored the Waldenses out of any good 
will towards them ; and any acknowledgements that they have 
made favorable towards them must be from the force of truth. 
These two commissioners cleared them of the charges preferred 
by their enemies, and testified that they had their children bap- 
tized according to the primative Church. That is exactly what 
anti-pedobaptists do not do ; and yet, they claim the Waldenses- 

About the year 1535, just after a sevfere persecution, they de- 
termined to hold a convention for the purpose of re-adopting arti- 
cles of faith, for their future government, and, as they say in 
their preamble, ^' That all things might be done in order,'' all the 
heads of every family, with their pastors, assembled together, 
out of all their valleys, at Angrogne, on September 12th, in the 
year 1535. 

The seventeenth article of this Confession of Faith relates to 
the Sacraments, and is as follows : 

"As to the sacraments, it hath been determined by the Holy 
Scriptures, that we have but two sacramental signs or symbols, 
which Christ Jesus hath left unto us ; the one is Baptism, the 
other the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, which we receive to demon- 
strate our perseverance in the faith, according to the promise we 
made in our baptism in our infancy; as also in remembrance of 
that great benefit which Jesus Christ hath conferred upon us, 
when he laid down his life for our redemption, cleansing us with 
his most precious blood." — Perrin, p. 82. 



• 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 15 

In reference to the convention which drew up and adopted the 
articles of this Confession of Faith, we notice 1st, That it was gen- 
eral, composed of " all the heads of every family, with their pas- 
tors, assembled together out of all their valleys;" 2d, That the 
convention were unanimous in their action. The "Articles fol- 
lowing were ordered, read, and approved, and unanimously signed 
and sworn to by all the assistants, as what they would preserve, 
observe, believe, and inviolably retain among them, without any 
contradiction/' 3d, That this "doctrine had been delivered from 
father to son among them, and taken out of the Word of God." 
They must all have been pedo-baptists, for they say they were 
baptized in their infancy. Baptist writers claim these people as 
their ancestors in the Church. 

For some years after the adoption of these Articles of Faith, 
the Waldenses were not troubled much by the Koman Catholics; 
for the priests then among them, being "out of all hopes of ever 
seeing those people reclaimed, or reduced to the obedience of the 
Church of Rome by any violence and compulsion, much less, of 
their own accord, and perceiving the door of their gain to be 
shut, they departed without speaking a word." In addition to 
this, there were wars in Piedmont, between Francis I. and the 
Prince of Piedmont, which also contributed to the quiet of the 
Tyaldenses. About the year 1555 this quiet was broken up; 
and open persecution again commenced ; instigated by the par- 
liament of Turin. The parliament "deputed the President of Ju- 
lian, and an assessor named De Ecclesia," to go into those places 
occupied by the Waldenses, and put in execution whatsoever 
they thought necessary, either for the reduction or the extermi- 
nation of said people. 

" The President with his assessor took his journey to Perouse, 
and caused public proclamation to be made in the name of the 
King, that every one of the inhabitants should go to mass 
on pain of d^ath. Afterwards they came to Pignerol, where 
they summoned several to appear before them. Among others, 
there appeared a poor, simple, laboring man, whom the Presi- 
dent ordered to have baptism again administered to his child, 
who had been lately baptized by ilie Waldensian minister^ 
near Angrogne. The poor man desired so much respite, as to offer 



16 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND rRACTICE" 

up his prayer to God, before lie answered him ; which, with somei' 
laughter, being granted, he fell down upon his knees, before all 
the standers-by, and having concluded his prayer, he said to the 
President, that he would cause his child to be re-baptized, pro- 
vided, he would oblige himself by a bond, signed with his own 
hand, to discharge and clear him from the sin that he should 
commit in so doing, and suffer himself, the punishment and con- 
demnation which God would one day inflict upon him for it, ta~ 
king this iniquity upon him and his. Which the President 
understanding, commanded him to depart out of his presence, 
without pressing him any farther." — Perrin, pp. 83, 84. 

It may be said that this was but one man, and he a poor, sim- 
ple, laboring man ; be that as it may, it shows how well indoc- 
trinated he was, and we may infer likewise of the common peo- 
ple generally. His child had been baptized by a Waldensiaa 
minister, and he, no doubt, was acting in concert with all the 
othera. Perrin has seen fit to narrate it in his history, whether 
worth much or little. If he had been an anti-pedobaptist, he 
would have had no conscientious scruples in regard to the matter, 
for he would not have considered it baptism at all, either at the 
hands of the Waldensian minister, or the Roman Catholic 
priest. The practice of a people in matters of religion, shows 
as well what their belief is as their Confessions of Faith. 

In Perrin's History, pp. 212, 213, 214, is a Confession of Faith 
of the Waldenses, copied out of manuscripts, bearing date 1120,, 
four hundred years before the time of Luther, Zwingle, and Cal- 
vin, and seventy years before Peter Waldo. All they say in this 
Confession of Faith, about baptism is, ^'We acknowledge no 
other sacrament, than Baptism and the Lord's Supper." Im- 
mediately after this, is given a Catechism of the ancient Wal- 
denses, for the instruction of their youth. And then a "brief 
exposition of the Waldenses and Albigenses upon the Apostles' 
Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Sac- 
raments." In these expositions they take up, 1st, The Apostles 
Creed, and explain it article by article. So with the Ten Com- 
mandments — explaining each one separately. Also with the 
Lord's Prayer, they explain it, each petition in detail. They 
then explain the Sacraments. "A Sacrament, say they, accor- 



OF THE OLD WALDEnSES ..ND ALBIGENSES. 17 

6ing to the sayings of Augustin, in his Book of the City of God, 
is an invisible grace, represented by a visible thing. Or a Sacra- 
ment is the sign of a holy thing. — Perrin, p. 230. 

*'The first" Sacrament "is called Baptism." — Ihid. 

"The things that are not necessary in baptism, are the exor- 
cisms, th'C breathings, the signs of the cross upon the infant y 
either upon the breast or the forehead, the salt put into the mouth, 
the spittle into the eai's and nostrils, the unction of the breast, 
the monks cowl, the anointing of the chrism upon the head, and 
divers the like things, consecrated by the prelate ; as also the 
putting the taper in his hands, clothing it v^ith a white vestment, 
the blessing of the water, the dipping of it thrice in the water. 
All thest- things used in the administration of the sacrament, are 
not necessary ; they neither being of the substance, nor requisite 
in the sacrament of baptism; from which things, many take an occa- 
sion of error and superstition, rather than edification to salvation. 

"Now this baptism is visible and material, which maketh the 
party neither good nor evil, as it appeareth in the Scripture, by 
Simon Magus and Paul. And w^hereas, baptism is administered 
in a full congregation of the faithful, it is to the end, that he 
that is received into the Church, should be reputed, and held of 
all, for a Christian brother, and that all the congregation might 
pray for him that he might be a Christian in heart, as he is out- 
wardly esteemed to be a Christian. And for this cause it is, that 
ive present our children in baptism, which they ought to do, to 
whom the children are nearest, as their parents, and they to whom 
God hath given this charity."- — Perrin, p. 231. 

Perrin, in this part of his history, is treating of the doctrines 
of the Waldenses, exclusively. He gives their expositions of the 
sacraments, and other doctrines, as he finds them in their own 
writings. 

In their exposition of the sacrament of baptism, that we have 
just quoted, any one can see that they offer no objection w^hat- 
ever to the doctrine of infant baptism ; but only object to the 
superstitious additions made by the Church of Rome. So far 
from being opposed to the doctrine itself, they say, "And for 
this cause it is, that we present our children in baptism." This 
Perrin gives, as their own language, in explaining the sacrament 
2 



18 AN EPITOME OF THE DOOTKINES AND PRACTICE 

of baptism. I rely upon this quotation the more, becatise they 
are here directly explaining their doctrines; and consequently it 
is not merely an incidental matter. 

When any Church or people, are expounding theif own belief 
or doctrines, they are very stire to be definite and explicit. If 
those anti-pedobaptists, who claim the Waldenses and the Albi- 
genses as their spiritual ancestors, can draw any comfort from 
the doctrine of such pedobaptists, they are more than welcome 
to it. I will show in a subsequent chapter how one of them 
gets along with this subject. 

It is best for men to claim no more than is their due. On p. 242 
of Perrin's History, commences a " Treatise of the Old Walden- 
ses and Albigenses, concerning Antichrist, Purgatory, Invoca- 
tion of Saints, and the Sacraments.'' On p. 257 they treat of 
the Sacraments. " 1. Baptism. — That which is of no necessity 
in the administration of baptism, is the exorcism, the breathing 
on, the sign of the cross upon the infant's breast and forehead, 
the salt which they put into his mouth, the spittle put to his 
ears and nose, the anointing of his breast, the capouch, the unc- 
tion of the crown of his head, and all the rest of those things 
consecrated by the bishop, putting wax in their hands, arraying 
them in white, blessing the water, plunging the infant three 
times, seeking for god-fathers ; all these things, commonly prac- 
ticed about the administration of the sacraments, are needless, 
as being not at all of the substance of, nor requisite in the sac- 
rament of baptism ; these things giving occasion unto many, 
that they rather fall into error and superstition, than they should 
be edified by them to salvation ; which made some doctors profess 
that there was no virtue nor benefit to be had in them." In this 
Treatise on the Sacrament of Baptism, although the Waldenses 
enter their protest against the needless additions practiced by the 
Church of Rome, they do not say one word against the baptism 
of infants. If they had been opposed to it, they would no doubt 
have expressed their opposition. Their silence is the strongest 
presumptive evidence that they did not object to it ; especially 
as they were treating the subject, and condemning the additions 
thereto. 

We have here an exposition of the Waldenses, of the sacra- 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 19 

ment of Baptism, and also a Treatise on the same subject. We 
have given a quotation from each one, and certainly there is not 
the least evidence that they entertained any anti-pedobaptist 
sentiments. We could hardly find anything more explicit in the 
writings of any pedobaptist of the present day. And yet, Theo- 
dosia Earnest traces the Baptist Church, back through the Wal- 
denses to the Apostles. 

The Book of Antichrist, in which is found the Exposition of 
the Waldenses, of the sacraments, was written in 1120 — long 
before Peter Waldo began to preach. 

From Dr. Bray's History of the Waldenses — bound in the 
same volume with Perrin's — we make the following quotation: — 
" The other instruments which the arch-enemy to the salvation 
of men made use of to hinder the progress of the Gospel, were 
the Roman Catholics themselves, and their fiery proselytes and 
devotees, who would, with all their hearts, have done by this poo r 
people (if God had not limited their power) as their brethren in 
iniquity had done by their neighbors, in the dominions of the 
Duke of Savoy — that is, banish, imprision, and put to death, and 
.confiscate their goods, if the King had not by an express edict 
granted and confirmed to his subjects of the marquisate of Salu- 
ces, the liberty of living peaceably in their habitations, promi- 
sing not to disturb or molest them for their said religion, yet 
after such a manner, that he suffered them to meet in small pri- 
vate assemblies, where the pastor instructed, comforted, and en- 
couraged those poor people, baptized their children^ and admin- 
istered the holy supper ;'' p. 320. This was about the year 1567 

Dr. Bray, speaking of the writings of Yigneaux, a minister 
of the valley of Lucerne, during a severe persecution of the 
Churches of the marquisate of Saluces, says, " Thus were some, 
relics and remains of the Churches of the poor Waldenses pre- 
served in the more mountainous portions of the marquisate until 
the year 1633, but without pastors, or spiritual food for their 
souls, excepting some few ministers, who were from time to time 
sent to them incognito from the valley of Lucerne, who, in small 
and very private assemblies, did instruct, comfort and encour- 
age, as much as possible, these poor faithful, and baptized their 
children. Yet, could not this be done everywhere without expo- 



20 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

sing both the minister and all his auditors to inevitable ruin, inso- 
much, that in the year 1633, when they completed their destruc- 
tion, several of their children were baptized in the said valley of 
Lucerne, at 18 and 20 years of age/' — p. 326. This quotation 
is clear proof that the putting off of the baptism of their chil- 
dren until 18 or 20 years of age, was not their custom, but that 
they were compelled to do it, from two considerations : 1st. Be- 
cause it was very seldom that any of their ministers could be had 
to attend to it for them : 2d. Because of the vigilant watch the 
Roman Catholics had continually upon them, and if found 
assembled together were exposed to inevitable ruin. It shows also, 
that they were well taught and instructed, by their ministers in 
former times, as to their duty in dedicating their children to God in 
the ordinance of baptism. There is some other evidence in 
Dr. Bray's History, but it is similar to that in Perrin's, and con- 
seiq[uently unnecessary to be re-produced. 

The direct evidence that I have presented from Perrin and 
Bray, in establishing the fact, that the Waldenses and Albigen- 
ses, were pedobaptists, seems to me to be conclusive. This evi- 
dence is collected from their practice, their various widtings, their 
confessions, their exposition of the sacrament of baptism, and 
extending from the year 1120, to the year 1633. I am of the 
opinion, that the' collected evidence from the writings of any 
pedobaptist denomination of the present time, including the 
Confession of Faith, could not be more conclusive in establishing 
their pedobaptist proclivities, than the evidence I have collected 
is conclusive in establishing the point under consideration. As 
to the authority from which it is taken, none is considered any 
better than Perrin. He is quoted, I see, by a number of writers, 
on both sides of the question, as the best authority. 

I will close this chapter with a quotation from Dr. Miller's 
recommendatory letter to Perrin's History — p. 5. 

" Our anti-pedobaptist brethren, also, lay claim to the Wal- 
denses as the advocates of their creed, both as to the subjects and 
the mode of Baptism. The most cursory perusal of the ensuing 
volume will convince every impartial reader that there is no foun- 
dation whatever for this claim." 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGEXSES. 21 



CHAPTER III. 

Ix tlie preceding chapter, we have presented evidence that 
bears directly upon the subject under consideration. In this we 
shall -present some evidence of a collateral nature, bearing how- 
ever, upon the same point. It is known, that the doctrines held 
by the Reformers of the sixteenth century are very nearly the 
same as the doctrines held by the Old Waldenses. Upon this 
point, Jones, a Baptist historian, who also wrote a history of the 
Waldenses, says, "An impartial review of the doctrinal senti- 
ments maintained by the Waldenses, the discipline, order, and 
worship of their churches, as well as their general deportment 
and manner of life, not to mention their determined opposition to 
the Church of Rome, afford abundant evidence of the similarity 
of their \aews and practices to those held by Luther, Calvin, and 
the other illustrious characters, whose labors, in the sixteenth 
century, contributed so eminently to effect the glorious reforma- 
tion. Most of the Catholic writers, who lived about the time of 
the reformation, and the age which succeeded it, clearly saw this 
coincidence between the principles of the Waldenses and those 
of the reformers, and remarked it in their works." Jones' Histo- 
ry of the Waldenses^ pp. 346, 347. We give the following as 
examples : 

"Lindanus, a Catholic Bishop of the See of Ghent, who wrote 
in defence of the tenets of the Church of Rome, about 1560, terms 
Calvin Hhe inheritor of the doctrine of the Waldenses.'" Jones' 
History J p. 347. " Mezeray, the celebrated historiographer of 
Prance, in his Abridgement of Chronology speaking of the Wal- 
denses, says, ' They held nearly the same opinion as those who 
are now called Calvinists.' " Ibid. 

" Grualtier, a Jesuitical monk, in his Chronographical Tablee, 
drew up a catalogue consisting of seven and twenty particulare? 
in which he shows that the principles of the Waldenses, and those 
of the Calvinists coincided with each other." Ibid. 

" Eneas Sylvius (afterward Pope Pius II.) declares the doc- 
trine taught by Calvin to be the same as that of the Waldenses- 
In this opinion he was followed by John de Cardonne, who in his 



22 AN EPITOME or THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

life of the Monk of the Yalleys of Sera ay, thus quaintly expresses 
himself : 

" 'What the sect of Geneva doth admit, 
The Albigenses did commit.' " Ihicl. 

" Bellarmine asserts, that the identical belief which was pub- 
licly taught and professed in the valleys of Piedmont, in the year 
820 and onwards, was the very same which is at this day professed 
and owned by the Reformed Churches." Leger, Part /., p. 174. 
Quoted by Dr. Miller in his recommendatory letter to Perrin's 
History J p. 4. " Eccius reproaches Luther, that he did but renew 
the heresies of the Waldenses and Albigenses, of Wicliff and 
John Huss, formerly condemned/' Perrin, p. 45. ^' Claudius 
Rubis saith, that the heresies which have been current in our 
time were founded upon those of the Waldenses, and calls them 
the relics of Waldo." Ihid. " Cardinal Bellarmin saith that 
Wickliff could add nothing to the heresy of the Waldenses." 
Ihid. 

" Thomas Walden, who wrote against Wickliff, saith that the 
doctrine of Waldo was conveyed from France into England. To 
which agrees Sieur de la Popeliniere, who adds, that the doctrine 
of the modern Protestants is but little different from that of the 
Waldenses, which having, saith he, been received into the quar- 
ters of Albi, and communicated by the Albigenses to the Eng- 
lish their neighbors, when the English held Guienne in their 
possession, was infused into the understandings of some persons, 
who carried it into England, and was, as it were, handed down to 
Wickliff, a very eminent divine in the University of Oxford, and 
curate of Lutterworth, in the diocese of Lincoln, who by his elo- 
quence and extraordinary doctrine, so won upon the hearts and 
understandings of several Englishmen, even of the greatest quali- 
ty, that a scholar brought to Prague a book of Wickliff, entitled 
the Universals, which being diligently read by John Huss, in- 
creased and explained the doctrine sowed a long time before in 
Bohemia by the Waldenses, who fled thither ever since Waldo's 
time ; so that several of the people, scholars, nobility, and eccle- 
siastics did embrace it." Perrin, p. 45. This writer shows, 
that the doctrine of the Waldenses was handed down to Wick- 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 23 

liff, and from Wickliff to Huss. It is clearly shown, in the pre- 
ceding quotations, that Luther and Calvin, received and taught 
the same. 

" Alphonsus de Castoro saith that Wickliff did only bring to 
light again the errors of the Waldenses." Perrin^ p. 46. ^^ Thence 
we conclude," says Pemn, "that the doctrine maintained in our 
■ days against the inventions of men, is novel to those alone who 
have smothered it ; or that their ancestor abhorred it, for 
want of the knowledge of its goodness, since we find a considera- 
ble number of writings, which manifest that the doctrine for these 
several hundred years past constantly maintained, down to the 
Reformation, is the same with that which for several ages hath 
been stifled by ignorance and ingratitude. Which the adversaries 
themselves have in some measure confessed, when they said 
that the doctrine which is called novel, is nothing else but the 
essence of the errors of the ancient Waldenses ;" p. 44. The 
quotations, which I have presented in this chapter, show that 
Roman Catholic authors regarded the doctrines of the Old Wal- 
denses and those of Luther and Calvin the same. If they were 
the same, then the Waldenses were pedobaptists ; for Luther 
and Calvin were pedobaptists of the unyielding sort. 

Luther himself says, " after having read the Confession of the 
Waldenses, that he gave thanks to God for the great light which 
he had bestowed upon them, rejoicing with them that all cause of 
suspicion being removed from among them, and the Reformed, 
whi(*,h made them be suspected by each other of heresy, they 
were however so nearly united as to have been brought together into 
one sheepfold under the only Pastor and Bishop of our souls, who is 
blessed for ever ;" Perrin, p. 39. We thus see that Luther and 
Perrin both set down the doctrine of the Waldenses and the Re- 
formers as the same. I will now present some evidence of a 
more direct nature, showing the intimacy between the Waldenses 
and the professors of the Reformed religion in the sixteenth cen- 
tury. On page 92 of Penin's History ^ a " Declaration of the 
Waldenses dwelling in the valleys of Maties and Meane, and the 
marquisate of Saluces, made in the year 1603."' This diarqui- 
sate and these valleys are in the great valley of Piedmont. In 
this Declaration they say : " We protest and declare, that being 



24 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

very well assured that the doctrine and religion taught and 
practiced by the Reformed churches of France, Switzerland, Ger- 
many, G-eneva, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland 
and other kingdoms, countries and lordships, is the only true 
Christain doctrine and religion approved of and established by 
God, who alone can make us acceptable to himself, and bring us 
to salvation, we are resolved to follow it at the expense of our 
lives and fortunes, and to continue therein to the end of our lives. 
The words emphasized in this quotation, are also emphasized in 
Perrin. As to the sentiment taught therein, it speaks for itself. 
These Reformed churches were not anti-pedobaptist, either. 
This Protest was made during a severe persecution, and in that 
they were driven from their homes and from their country ; and 
in their homeless condition they say^: "In the mean time we 
desire the Reformed churches in the midst of our exile and 
calamity, to receive and look upon us as true members thereof, 
being ready, if it should please God so to order it, to seal 
the Confession of Faith by them made and published, with 
our blood, which we acknowledge to be every way con- 
formable to the doctrine taught and written by the holy 
Apostles, and consequently, therefore, truly apostolical." Perrin^ 
p. 93. Thus it appears that the members of the Waldensian 
churches could, without any compromise, become members of the 
Keformed churches. We regard this as strong evidence of their 
pedobaptist proclivities. The Waldenses say of their own doc- 
trine, that it is apostolical; and they say the same of the doctrine 
of the Reformed churches. In the year 1530, the Waldenses, 
having heard somthing of the nature of the doctrine of the Re- 
formers, sent George Morel and Peter Bourgogne, two of their 
pastors, to Oecolampadius land others of the Reformed religion, 
in order that they might be more fully informed of some matters 
of which they were doubtful. They wrote letters to some of the 
Reformed preachers, and sent them by their pastors. The one to 
.Tohn Oecolampadius is as follows : " Health be to you Mr. Oe- 
colampaaius : Whereas several persons have given us to under- 
stand, and the report hath reached our ears, that He who is able 
to do all things, hath filled and replenished you with the blessings 
of his Holy Spirit, as it conspicuously appears by its fruits — we 



-^ *fc 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 25 

therefore have recourse to you from a far country, and with stead- 
fast hope and confidence, that the Holy Ghost will enlighten our 
understanding by your means, and will reveal to us and let us into 
the knowledge of several things, w^herein we are now doubtful, 
and which are hid and concealed from us, by reason of our ig- 
norance and remissness ; and, as we have reason to fear, to the 
great damage and disadvantage both of ourselves and the people 
of whom we are the unworthy teachers. That you may know at 
once how matters stand with us ; we, such as we are, poor in- 
structors of this small people, have undergone for above these 
four hundred years most sharp and cruel persecutions, and not 
without great and signal marks and instances of Christ's favor, 
as all the faithful can easily testify ; for He hath often inter- 
posed for the deliverance of this people, when under the harrow 
of the said cruel and severe persecutions. And therefore we 
come unto you for advice and consolation, in this our state of 
weakness.'' Ferrin, p. 102. 

Oecolampadius wrote the following letter in response : 
"We have learnt with great satisfaction, by your faithful pas- 
tor Greorge Morel, the nature of your faith and religion, and in 
what terms you declare it. Therefore we thank our most merci- 
ful Father who hath called you to so great a light in this age, 
even amidst the obscure clouds of ignorance which spread them- 
selves throughout the world and not withstanding the extrava- 
gant power of Antichrist. And therefore we acknowledge that 
Christ is in you ; for which cause we love you like brethren and 
wou^d to Grod we were able to make you sensible in effect, of 
that which we shall be ready to do for you, although it were to 
be done with the utmost difficulty. Finally, we desire that 
what we write may not be looked upon as if through pride we as- 
sumed any superiority to ourselves, but out of that brotherly love 
and charity we bear towards you. The Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ hath imparted to you an excellent knowledge of his truth, 
more than to many other people, and hath blessed you with a 
spiritual benediction. So that if you persist in his grace, he 
hath much greater treasures with which he will enrich you, and 
make you perfect, according to your advancement in the measure 
of the inheritance of Christ." Perrm, p. 39. Quoted by him 



•26 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

irom G-eorge Morel's conference with Oecolampadius. The letter 
is thus subscribed : " Oecolampadius prays to the Holy Ghost 
for the grace of God the Father, through his son Jesus Christ, 
to the well beloved brethren in Christ, called Waldenses." 

Martin Bucer, an eminent man of the Reformed religion, wrote 
to them at the same time ; whose letter is of the same import 
with that of Oecolampadius. Theodore Beza, a co-laborer with 
Calvin, " called the Waldenses the offspring of the purest part 
of the Ancient Christian Church, because they have been 
miraculously preserved from the errors and ignorance which 
Satan hath hatched in these latter times." These quotations 
are enough to show the intimacy and friendship existing between 
the Waldenses and Reformers. They show also how readily the 
doctrines of each were received and approved by the other. 

If the Waldenses had been anti-pedobaptists, this could not 
have been the case. That the Reformed were pedobaptists, we 
need not stop to prove. 

Calvin, one of the ruling spirits of the Reformation, was the 
first to organize Churches on the Presbyterian plan. It is known 
that Wickliffand Huss, were both pedobaptists, and that through 
the instrumentality of Huss, Churches were formed and organ- 
ized, embracing the same doctrine. They acknowledge this doc- 
trine as being derived from the Waldenses. "Eneas Sylvius re- 
porteth of Peter Dreeze and James de Mi sue, disciples and fol- 
lowers of the Waldenses, that they traveled into Bohemia, in the 
time of John Huss, and that after some conference and conver- 
sation with him, they taught him their doctrine. They them- 
selves do not deny it. For they say that Wickliff was moved 
to throw off the Papal yoke, by the example of the Waldenses, 
and that Wickliff was the means and instrument which God 
made use of for the instruction of John Huss, who taught in 
Bohemia, and that, therefore, they thought themselves very much 
obliged to the Churches of the Waldenses, since, whatsoever was 
good in them, they say, was transplanted" into theirs ; and so 
they were, in one sense, the beginning and original of their 
Churches." — Perrin, p. 109. 

One more quotation in regard to the friendship and intercourse 
between the Hussites and Waldenses : 



• 



II > • m**mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 



i**taiiMM«ftrtirfiAi 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. * 27 

"About the year of our Lord, 1467, the Hussites reforming 
and separating their Churches from the Church of Eome, under- 
stood that there were some Churches of the ancient Waklenses 
in Austria, upon the frontiers of Bohemia, in which there were 
great and learned men ordained, and appointed to be pastors, and 
that the doctrine of the Gospel flourished in its full force and 
vigor amongst them. That they might be informed of the truth 
thereof, they sent two of their ministers with two elders, giving 
them in charge, to inquire into, and know what those flocks 
or congregations were ; for what reasons they had separated 
themselves from the Church of Kome ; their principles and pro- 
gress ; and also to discover and make known to them the begin- 
ning of their own conduct in Bohemia, and to acquaint them with 
- the cause and reason of their separation and dissension from the 
Romish Church." — Perrin, pp. 109, 110. 

This correspondence was carried on between the two denomi- 
nations of Christians for a considerable length of time, and ar- 
rangements were being made for a mutual conference, that "they 
might enter upon better and more efficacious resolutions, and also 
confer about several other matters of the last importance and 
concern. But when they were just upon the point of sending 
to the place which they had appointed for their meeting, they 
began to fear that the business might be detected and discovered, 
. and so might be of dangerous consequence to them all." — Perrin, 
p. 111. 

This correspondence thus closed, in consequence of the vigi- 
lant watch the Romish inquisitors had upon these Waldensian 
Churches. Persecutions, however, so increased upon them that 
they were all driven from Austria and took refuge in Bohemia, 
and finally "united themselves to the Chuiches of the Hussites." 

We have presented evidence in this chapter which shows 
clearly, that Roman Catholic writers, about the time of the re- 
formation, invariably pronounced the doctrine of the Waldenses 
and Reformers, the same. These writers ought to know, for they 
lived in the time of both, and persecuted both with great severity. 
They certainly could accomplish nothing by charging the Re- 
formers with holding the same doctrine that the Waldenses held, 
^ if it were not true. In the next place, the fact is clearly proven 



28 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

of the intimate friendship, correspondence, and connection be- 
tween the pedobaptist Eeformers and the Waldenses. I find it 
not in their history that they formed any such alliances with anti- 
pedobaptists. They regarded each other as true Churches and 
their doctrine as apostolical. Faber, in his ^^ Inquiry into the 
History and Theology of the ancient Waldenses and Albigen- 
ses," says, " With the Reformed Churches of the sixteenth and 
nineteenth centuries, the visible and united Churches of the Wal- 
denses and the Albigenses, now actually existing in the valleys of 
the Cottian Alps, agree, both in all essential parts of Scriptural 
doctrine, and in a steady opposition to the unscriptural corrup- 
tions of the court of Rome." — Perrin, p. 128. 

Faber was a European writer, and his History has never been 
published in the United States. I find this piece, however, in 
Perrin's History, taken from Faber. I will now close this chap- 
ter with a quotation from Dr. Miller's recommendatory letter, p. 5. 

^'But there is one notorious, unquestionable fact which is suf- 
ficient of itself to refute the allegation, both of prelatists and 
anti-pedobaptists, in regard to the Waldenses, and that is that 
after the Reformation on the continent of Europe, and the organ- 
ization of the Reformed Churches, on the Presbyterian plan, in 
France, Germany, Switzerland, etc., the Waldenses acknowledged 
them as true Churches, held communication with them, received 
ministers from them, and in every variety of way, manifested 
that they recognized their regular Christian character, and the 
validity of their ministry. This, surely, could never have been 
done, if the Waldenses had maintained the divine right of pre- 
lacy, Or the obligation of the anti-pedobaptist system." Some 
Roman Catholic writers have had the presumption to claim the 
Waldenses as their spiritual ancestors. Probably no man in 
the United States is better posted in regard to the history and 
doctrine of the Waldenses, than Dr. Miller. He was Professor 
of Ecclesiastical History in the Theological Seminary at Prince- 
ton, New Jersey ; and not only made Church History his study, 
but had in his possession four or five of the oldest, most reliable, 
and most extensive histories of the Waldenses that have ever 
been written. He decides without question, that they were pedo- 
baptists. I think the evidence that has been presented in this 



jk. 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBlGENSES. 29 

and the preceding chapter, from the history, practice and doc- 
trine of the Waldenses is sufficient to convince all that they 
were pedobaptists, except such as are too ignorant and bigoted to 
be convinced. I know a preacher who professed to debate the 
question, as to whether the Keformation commenced by Luther, 
in the sixteenth century, was a blessing or a curse to the world. 
He, in that, would take the negative and show that it was not 
a blessing, but a curse. I suppose that he would have shown, 
in the first place, like Jones does in his History, that the Wal- 
denses were anti-pedobaptists. And in the next place, I sup- 
pose his position would have been, that all that was accomplished 
by the Reformation would ultimately have been accomplished 
by the Waldenses ; and thus it is, that the world would not have 
been cursed with the doctrine that is held by pedobaptist denom- 
inations. But the trouble with this divine would have been a 
failure in the first instance, inasmuch as he would have had 
an opponent and not every thing his own way. I do reckon that 
a great many people have been so gulled and missled, that they 
verily believe the Waldenses were anti-pedobaptists, and much 
opposed to the dedication of the infant children of believing pa- 
rents to Grod, in the ordinance of baptism. I wish all such 
could get an unbiased peep into the inside of Ferrin's History of 
that people, and compare it with Jones' History of the same 
people. 



CHAPTEB IV. 

In the Second and Third Chapters we have presented the evi- 
dence collected from the writings and history of the Waldenses, 
showing that they were pedobaptists. In this chapter we will 
present some evidence confirmatory of the fact that they bap- 
tized by affusion, and not by immersion. The evidence on this 
point is not so abundant as it is on the preceding. It has gen- 
erally been the case, as shown by the history of the Church, that 
those who held the doctrine of infant baptism, held that affusion 



30 AN EPITOME OP THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

was the proper mode. There are exceptions, however, to this. 
The Waldenses, in their exposition of the sacrament of baptism, 
in giving their objections to the superstitious additions made by 
the Church of Rome, object to the dipping of the child three 
times ; but whether they objected to dipping at all or not, is not 
stated. Dr. Miller, in his recommendatory letter, says, " That 
they practiced infant baptism, and that they baptized by sprink- 
ling, or affusion/* When explaining and defining their doctrine, 
the Waldenses say of the sacraments, there are but two, and 
"The first is called Baptism; in our language, the washing with 
water, either with the river or the fountain, and it must be ad- 
ministered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost." That differs from Baptist language, which 
means immersion in water, and nothing else, is (baptism) im- 
mersion. They have held a convention and decided that bap- 
tism don't belong to their Bible, and consequently the intruder 
was ruled out. Dr. Bray, in his History of the W^aldenses, p. 
292, says, "In the thirteenth article" (of their faith) "they give 
us a scantling of their doctrine, where they say thus : the sacra- 
ments, according to St. Augustine, de Civitate Dei, is an invisible 
grace, represented by a visible thing ; and they say there is a 
great difference between the sign and the thing signified. The first 
sacrament is called baptism, viz, a washing or sprinkling of water, 
which must be administered in the name of the Father, of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'' 

The quotations we have made present the sum of the evi- 
dence, as given by Perrin and Bray, in establishing the mode of 
baptism practiced by the Waldenses. There is nothing in it 
favorable to immersion. There is another source of evidence 
which, to my mind is very forcible, and that is their correspon- 
dence and union with the Reformers of the sixteenth century. 
That this was the case, is clearly shown in chapter third. It is 
there shown that quite a number of Roman Catholic writers, 
and some Reformers, considered their doctrines the same. This 
source of evidence is just as strong, in the establishment of the 
fact that they baptized by affusion, as it is that they were pedo- 
baptists. As the anabaptists were becoming noted about that 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AlfB ALBIGfENSEg, 31 

time, and rejected the doctrine of infant baptism, and 4)racticed 
immersion, why, if the Waldenses were of the same faith, did 
they not form their alliances with them, and not with pedobap- 
tists, who also baptized by affusion ? 



CHAPTER y. 

We will devote this chapter to the inaccuracies and garblings 
of Jones' History of the Waldenses. He commences and pro- 
ceeds with his History in the channel ordinarily pursued by 
Church historians, until he comes to the year 606 ; he then leaves 
the Church of Rome, and continues his winding way on towards 
the Waldenses. I don't fault him for that course. He only 
goes where he finds, or pretends to find, anti-pedobaptists. 
When he gets to the Waldenses, he shows us, by garbling, mis- 
quoting, and presenting only a part of the evidence, that they 
were anti-pedobaptists also, I suppose his cause required it. 
He quotes a great deal from Perrin, and in speaking of him, in 
connection with some other historians, he says he is a writer of 
"unimpeachable veracity/' I present this in order to show that 
he considers Perrin no mean historian. I will now contrast Per- 
rin's "unimpeachable veracity," to Jones' "unimpeachable fal- 
sity." _ _ _ ■ 

The first item that I shall notice is the seventh Article of 
a Waldensian Confession of Faith, found in Perrin's History, p. 
53, and copied into Jones' History, p. 326. Jones refers to Per- 
rin as his only authority for producing this Confession. This Ar- 
ticle in Perrin reads thus : 

"We believe that in the sacrament of baptism, the water is 
the visible and external sign, which represents to us that which, 
by virtue of the invisible God so working, is within us; that is 
to say, the renovation of the spirit, and the mortification of our 
members in Jesus Christ, by which also we are received into the 
holy congregation of God's people, protesting and declaring be- 
fore it our faith and change of life." 

I will now give it as I find it in Jones' History, and empha- 
size the parts that he changes : 



32 AN EPITOME OE THE DOCTRmj^S AND PRACTICE 

*^We believe that in the ordinance of baptism, the water is 
the visible and external sign, which represents to us that which, 
by virtue of God's invisible operation, is within us, namely, the 
renovation of our minds^ and the mortification of our members 
through (the faith of) Jesus Christ. And by this ordinance we 
are received into the holy congregation of Grod's people, previ' 
ously professing and declaring our faith and change of life/' 

His changes in this quotation don't amount to a great deal, 
only changing the sense in one instance. When the Confession, 
as given by Perrin, speaks of being received into the holy con- 
gregation of God's people, protesting and declaring before it our 
faith, &c., I understand the pronoun it to refer to the congrega- 
tion before which we declare ; whereas, Jones changes the phra- 
seology, and makes it refer to a profession of religion that had 
been made before being received into the congregation. I sup- 
pose he did this in order to show inasmuch as infants could not 
make this profession, the Waldenses were therefore anti'pedo- 
baptists. The language of this Confession is not uncommon in 
the writings of the Waldenses, when they speak directly of infants. 
In the 17th Article of another Confession of theirs— -Perrm, p. 82 
— *-in speaking of the sacraments, they say, "The one is Baptism, 
the other the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which we receive to de- 
monstrate our perseverance in the faith, according to the promise 
we made in our baptism in our infancy." Also in their exposi- 
tion of the Sacraments- — Perrin, p. 231 — -"And whereas, bap- 
tism is administered in a full congregation of the faithful, it is 
to the end, that he that is received into the Church, should be 
reputed and held of all for a Christian brother, and that all the 
congregation might pray for him, that he may be a Christian in 
heart, as he is outwardly esteemed to be a Christian. And for 
this cause it is that we present our children in baptism, which 
they ought to do to whom the children are nearest as their pa- 
rents, and they to whom God hath given this charity." 

In the first of these two quotations they speak of the promise 
they made in their infancy. I understand them to mean that they 
were dedicated to God in infancy, by their fiiithful parents, and 
now are carrying out the obligations imposed upon them. In the 
second, they speak of presenting their children in baptism, that 



OT? T HE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 33 

tliey might receive the benefit of the special, prayers of the con- 
gregation, and ultimately become Christians in heart. There is 
nothing new, nothing wrong, and nothing unscriptural in dedi- 
cating infants to Grod for future service, as we can see by exam- 
ining Numbers, xxiii. ch. and 28th verse ; also Deut. xxix., 10. 
About the year 1508, and during the reign of Ladislaus, king of 
Hungary and Bohemia, a severe persecution broke out against 
the Waldenses ; and their enemies, in order to render them more 
obnoxious to the king, brought agamst them fourteen charges 
of error and crime. The fourth one was that they rejected the 
baptism of infants. This we gave in chapter second^ and also 
their answer and denial of the charge. The point we wish to 
make is, that Jones, in quoting these charges from Perrin — such 
as suit him, and gives Perrin as his author — leaves out the 
fourth one, and their answer to it. In that answer (Perrin, p. 
28) they come out strongly for infant baptism. Jones tells us, 
however, that he would give a few of the more interesting par- 
ticulars concerning these charges. I suppose this one did not 
come under that head. I do not think he could hardly have 
quoted the third and fifth and not have seen the fourth at all. I 
judge he saw it. But it would have spoiled Ms nice arrange- 
ments. 

There is another item we shall notice, that is still more 2:larino: 
than the one just disposed of We find it in Jones' History, p. 
338, and in Perrin's, p. 36. Jones quotes it and gives Perrin as 
his author. I quote it first from Perrin. " King Louis XII. of 
France, having received information from the enemies of the 
Waldenses dwelling in Provence, of several heinous crimes which 
they fathered upon them, sent to the place Adam Fumee, master 
of requests, and a Sorbonist doctor, called Parni, who was his 
confessor, to make inquiry into the matter. They visited all 
their parishes and temples, and neither found there any images, 
or signs of the ornaments belonging to the mass, or ceremonies 
of the Romish Church ; much less could they discover any of 
those crimes with which they were charged. But rather that 
they kept the Sabbath duly, caused their children to he baptized 
according to the primitive Church, taught them the articles of 
the Christian faith, and the commandments of Grod. The king 
3 



34 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTEIKES AND PRACTICE 

having heard the report of the said commissioners, said, with an 
oath, that they were better men than himself or his people/' I 
will give it as Jones quotes it. " Louis XII., king of France^ 
being informed by the enemies of the Waldenses, inhabiting a 
part of the province of Provence, that several heinous crimes 
were laid to their account, sent the master of requests, and a 
certain doctor of the Sorbonne, who was confessor to his Majesty, 
to make inquiry into this matter. On their return, they reported 
that they had visited all the parishes where they dwelt, had in- 
spected their places of worship, but that they had found there 
no images, nor signs of the ornaments belonging to the mass, nor 
any of the ceremonies of the Komish Church ; much less could 
they discover any traces of those crimes with which they were 
charged. On the contrary, they kept the Sabbath day, observed 
the ordinance of baptism according to the priinitive Churchy 
instructed their children in the articles of the Christian faith and 
the commandments of Grod. The king having heard the report 
of his commissioners, said with an oath, that they were better 
men than himself or his people.'' I wish to direct particular 
attention to the words emphasized. Perrin says, they caused 
their children to be baptized according to the primitive Church. 
But that does not suit Mr. Jones, and he therefore changes his 
author's language, and makes the sense quite another thing — 
observed the ordinance of baptism according to the primitive 
Church. The Waldenses were pedobaptists, but Mr. Jones was 
determined, at all hazzards, to make it appear that they were 
anti-pedobaptists. What shall I call such quoting of an author 
as this ? Is it garbling ? I suppose it is. Is it characteristic of 
a faithful historian ? I suppose it is not. Is it putting the 
false for the true ? I suppose it is. Whenever a man gets as 
low down in order to caiTy a point as Mr. Jones has done, he is 
low indeed. And if it should ever happen that the peculiarities 
of my Church were to require it of me, I would certainly move 
my head-quarters, I think, if I were to present matters in such 
a garbled manner as this, it would disturb my conscience. 

I find a Confession of Faith of the Waldenses in Perrin's His- 
tory, pp. 81-2, which is definite and explicit, in favor of infant 
baptism. I gave the article upon that point in chapter second^ 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 35 

Mr. Jones passes this by, as silently as death. He does not 
intimate that there is any thing of the kind in Perrin. I have 
seen the statement in the writings of one great man, at least, of 
the present age, that Jones was a faithful historian. I have pre- 
viously given the account of a poor laboring man whom the presi- 
dent of Julian, a Roman Catholic functionary, ordered to have 
his infant child re baptized, which had a few days before been bap- 
tized by the Waldensian minister near Angrogne. Mr. Jones, in 
his History, p. 462, gives a part of this account ; but just before 
he gets to the baptism of the infant, by a Waldensian minister, 
he branches out on other things. He is a very cautious writer. 
He succeeds too in making all his points clear, notwithstanding 
the difficulties are numerous, and lie just at hand. If he can't 
move them, he will move himself. 

The Waldenses, in their writings denominate the Pope An- 
tichrist. Perrin gives a treatise of the Waldenses, on the works 
of Antichrist. In that they say, " The third work of Antichrist 
consists in this, that he attributes the regeneration of the Holy 
Spirit unto the dead outward work, baptizing children in that 
faith, and teaching that thereby baptism and regeneration must 
be had, and therein he confers and bestows orders and other sac- 
raments, and groundeth therein all his Christianity, which is 
against the Holy Spirit." Jones gives this from Perrin, as fol- 
lows : 

" He (Antichrist) teaches to baptize children into the faith, 
and attributes to this the work of regeneration ; thus confounding 
the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration with the external 
rite of baptism, and on this foundation bestows orders, and in- 
deed grounds all his Christianity.'' Jones' quotation changes the 
sense very materially, from what it is in Perrin. This book of 
Antichrist, is the production of the Waldenses themselves — Per- 
rin produces it from their own manuscripts — in it they say An- 
tichrist (the Pope) attributes the regeneration of the Holy Spirit 
unto the dead outward work and in that faith, (i. e. the dead 
outward work,) baptizes children. Jones says, "He (Anti- 
christ) teaches to baptize children into the faith ;" evidently 
meaning the faith of the gospel, or Christain religion. The 
Waldenses were opposing Antichrist, and Jones' perversion of 



36 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

their language makes them imply that they were opposed to 
infant baptism ^er se. Whereas their own language, as given 
by Perrin, does not imply any such thing. It seems that Jones 
was determined, not to admit any thing into his History of the 
Waldenses, that could be construed to imply in the least 
that they were pedobaptists. And he even changes language, so 
as to make it imply that they were anti-pedobaptists. 

Perrin devotes a part of his History to the doctrines of the 
Waldenses, and in that he gives their exposition of the sacra- 
ment of baptism ; in which they speak definitely in favor of in- 
fant baptism. This exposition was given in chapter second. Mr. 
Jones omits this entirely in his History. He must have known it 
was there. He quotes too much from Perrin not to see it at all. 

I am willing to allow, that whenever he came to such evidence 
as this, he was taken with a kind of sectarian blindness, that 
prevented him from seeing it. The reader can now see the evidence 
that has been given from Perrin, in attestation of the fact, that 
the Waldenses were pedobaptists ; all this Mr. Jones either omits, 
or changes the language so as to make the sense exactly the op- 
posite of what it is in Perrin. Faithful historian ! 

Mr. Jones, after quoting a number of Roman Catholic authors 
to show that the doctrines of the Waldenses and Reformers were 
the' same, then says : " To these impartial testimonies which 
are more than sufficient to settle the question of family likeness, 
I shall only add that of the learned Limborch, professor of divinity 
in the University of Amsterdam^ and that of Dr. Mosheim, 
the ecclesiastical historian. The former, comparing them with 
the Christains of his own time says, ^ to speak candidly what I 
think of all the modern sects of Christians, the Dutch Baptists 
most resemble both the Waldenses and Albigenses.' The latter 
notwithstanding the flimsy, confused and in many instances, the 
erroneous account which he has given of the Waldenses, yet has 
expressly owned that before the rise of Luther and Calvin, there 
lay concealed in almost all the countries of Europe, persons who 
adhered tenaciously to the principles of the modern Dutch Bap- 
tists.' " I have not Limborch's History at hand, and conse- 
quently cannot test the accuracy of his quotation. If he is cor- 
rect in this quotation, it is the first one I have found. His 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 37 

quotatiou from Mosheim can be easily tested as to accuracy. He 
refers to Mosheim/ s Ecclesiastical History, cent, xvi., sect, iii., 
part ii., chap. iii. 

We have found the place, and it reads : " Before the rise of 
Luther and Calvin, there lay concealed, in almost all the coun- 
tries of Europe, particularly in Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland 
and Germany, many persons who adhered tenaciously to the fol- 
lowing doctrine which the Waldenses, Wicklifl^tes and Hussites 
had maintained, some in a more disguised, and others in a more 
open and public manner, viz : that the kingdom of Christ, or the 
visible Church which he established upon earth, was an assembly 
of true and real saints and ought therefore to be inaccessible to 
the wicked and unrighteous, and also exempt from all those in- 
stitutions which human prudence suggests, to oppose the progress 
of iniquity, or to correct and reform transgressors." That is the 
quotation from the place referred to in Mosheim, '^ verhatum, 
punctuatum et Uteratum." The man that can see Dutch Bap- 
tist in it must have a vision as keen as the pig that could see 
the wind. Mr. Jones is a mighty man of the sort. I am now 
done with his misquotations, perversions and garblings. 

I will conclude this chapter with a quotation from Dr. Miller: 
" William Jones, an eminent Baptist, in his ^History of the Wal- 
denses,' has so mutilated and perverted the plainest documents 
of those pious witnesses of the truth, in order to make them 
speak the language of anti-pedobaptists, as to place his char- 
acter as an honest historian in a most undesirable position.'' 



CHAPTER YI. 

We shall devote this chapter to the form of government adopt- 
ed by the Waldensian Church. It appears from their history 
that they had a well organized system of Church government. 
Like the Presbyterian order, the Waldensian Church is governed 
by three courts. The lowest of these is composed of the pastor, 
elders and deacons of each particular Church. This court is called 
the Consistory. It answers to the Church Session in the Pres- 



38 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTKINES AND PRACTICE 

byterian order of Chnrch government. The duty of the elders 
and deacons is the same that it is in Presbyterian Churches, and 
they are elected by the congregation in the same way. " The 
form/' says Dr. Baird, "by which they are installed, is given in 
the Liturgy of the Church.'' 

Dr. Bray, in his History of the Waldenses, gives a Confession 
of Faith, in which they speak of elders and deacons' exercising 
conjoint authority with the pastor in the discipline of their re- 
spective congregations, "according to the practice of the ancient 
Church." Dr. Bray, further says of the Waldenses, pp. 296-7 : 
"But, if they have succeeded the apostles as to their doctrine, 
they likewise succeeded as to the order and government of the 
Church. In the primitive Church, Acts xx., the Apostles estab- 
lished for the government of it, elders (Ephes. iv., 11) and deacons, 
as we may learn, as well from the Acts of the Apostles as from 
their Epistles, Tit. i., 5, 6. The pastors are likewise called bish- 
ops and elders, 1 Tim., iii. They are called pastors, because they 
are to feed the flock of Christ, which are his sheep, with the good 
word of God ; they are called bishops, which signifies ins23ectors 
or watchers, because they are to watch and take care of the flock 
which is committed to their charge ; they are called elders, be- 
cause they ought to be sage and prudent, and edify those that 
are committed to them, by their good life and conduct ; and so 
there were two sorts of elders in the j)rimitive Church, the one 
labored in the government of the Church only, and the other, be- 
sides the care they had of the affairs of the Church, took also 
pains in preaching and explaining the word, 1 Tim., v. 17. The 
deacons had the care of the poor, and 23astor, elders and deacons 
altogether, had the government of the Church. This is the dis- 
cipline that the Churches of Piedmont have always kept, for in 
their ancient manuscript, it is said, the Churches there have 
always had pastors, elders and deacons to govern them, as they 
had until the year 1686, when they were dispersed. The pastors 
employed themselves to instruct and exhort the people to live 
well and holily ; and the pastors, elders, and deacons altogether, 
watched over their flock, to banish all vice and scandal." 

We have thus definitely presented the officers of each respect- 
ive Church, and also their duties clearly marked out. They 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 39 

maintain, contrary to the assertions of some, that the primitive 
Church had two sorts of elders, and their respective functions 
defined. 

PeiTin, in his History, gives some further information upon 
this subject. In speaking of elders and ecclesiastical assemblies, 
he says: — "We choose amongst the people, rulers and elders, ac- 
cording to the diversity of their employment, in the unity of 
Christ. According to the Apostle, in his first Epistle to Titus ; 
'I have left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the 
things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I 
have appointed thee.' " 

Concerning Ecclesiastical Correction, he further says : — "Cor- 
rections are to be used to retain men in awe, to the end, 
that they that are not faithful may be punished and separated, 
either for their wicked life, or erroneous belief, or their want of 
charity, or any of those evils which may be possibly all found to- 
gether in one particular person. Now that it is necessary to use 
such corrections, the Lord Jesus Christ teacheth us, saying : — 
^If thy brother tresspass against thee, rebuke him betwixt thee 
and himself ; and if he repent, forgive him' — Luke, xvii. The 
Apostle confirmeth the same, saying to the Galatians : — ^If a 
man be taken in any sin, you that are spiritual, instruct such an 
one in the spirit or meekness.' But for as much as all receive 
not those coiTCctions in love, our Lord teacheth our spiritual 
guides what course they should take in this case, saying : — ^ But 
if he hearken not unto you, take with thee one or two ; for in 
the mouth of two or three, shall every word be established.' Our 
Lord's meaning is, if the fault be not public, and known to many. 
But not so, if the sin be made manifest and made known to every 
one ; for in such a case the chastisement must be made manifest 
too. The Apostle telleth us as much in the first of Tim., v. 20. 
^ Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others may fear.' " — 
Perrin, p. 239. 

In the infliction of ecclesiastical correction, the matter was 
brought before, and conducted by their spiritual guides, and not 
by the entire congregation. This is veiy clear from the quota- 
tion we have just given. Their manner is also clearly statfed in 



40 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTKINES AND PRACTICE 

regard to excommunication ; as will appear from the following 
quotation : 

" But when such will not amend their lives by any of those 
admonitions, nor leave their wicked ways, Christ teatheth us what 
we are to do against such : ' If they will not hearken thereunto, 
tell the church,' that is to say, the guides ivherehy the church is 
ruled and preserved, that he may be punished, especially for 
contumacy ; this the Apostle confirmeth, 1 Cor., v., 3, 11. ' I ve- 
rily as absent in body, but present in spirit have judged already as 
though I were present in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when 
ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. If any man that is called a brother, be a for- 
nicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an 
extortioner, I say, eat not with any that is such a one, but put away 
that wicked person from amongst you. If there be any one that 
will not obey our word, mark that man by an epistle, and have 
no company with him that he may be ashamed ; yet count him 
not an enemy, but admonish him as a brother ;' as our Saviour 
saith, 4et him be unto thee as a pagan, or a publican;' that is to 
say, let him be deprived of all aid of the church, and of the minis- 
try, and the fellowship and union of the church." Ferrin, p. 239. 

This authority to excommunicate the unruly and wicked, is 
vested in what we of the Presbyterian order, call the Church 
Session — ^by the Waldenses it was called the " Consistory.'' The 
members composing this Consistory were elected to that office by 
the congregation over which they were to watch and exercise dis- 
cipline ; just as a Presbyterian congregation would elect ruling 
elders. They were not, consequently, of what is called the inde- 
pendent order of church government. At least they were not of 
those who maintained that in all cases coming before the church 
for trial, every member of that church, whether male or female, 
old or young, has a right to speak and vote. This was to be 
done by judicious men chosen for that purpose. They differ, in 
this respect, very materially, in church government from the Bap- 
tists, who claim them so persistently as their spiritual ancestors. 

The next court, superior to the Consistory, is the Table or 
Board y which is composed of the Moderator, Moderator-adjunct,. 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 41 

and the Secretary of the Synod, and also two laymen elected 
by the Synod. Although this body consists of only five 
members; it is one of much importance to the church and 
possesses great powers. " Its duty is to superintend the churches 
and schools, watching over the pastors and teachers ; to fulfill 
the decisions of the Synod, when the latter body is not in session, 
to suspend pastors or teachers whom it thinks unworthy, to de- 
cide whatever difficulties may occur between the congregations 
and their pastors. Besides this work of supervision, it examines 
and ordains candidates for the ministry, whose studies and con- 
duct it looks after, carries on foreign and domestic correspon- 
dence, and appoints the deputations to other countries/' Dr. 
Baird's History of the modern Vaudois, p. 470. We see from 
this quotation, the very important work committed to this Table 
or Board. Although it is not formed in the same way that Pres- 
byteries are formed according to Presbyterianism, yet the greater 
part of its work is exactly the same as that committed to Presby- 
teries. It forms the connection between the Consistory and Synod. 
Its members hold their office from one session of the Synod to ano- 
ther. This court would not be improperly styled a standing com- 
mittee of the Synod. The expenses of its members during its ses- 
sions are paid. The highest ecclesiastical court among the Vaudois 
or Waldenses, is the Synod. " It is composed of all the ministers 
belonging to their Church ; including the Chaplain at Turin, and 
the clerical professors in the college.'^ Each parish, or church, 
sends two elders to the Synod ; " but the two can give but one 
vote." Candidates for the ministry may also attend, and take 
part in the diliberations, but cannot vote." ^^ Our pastors,'' say 
they, " do call assemblies once every year, to determine of all af- 
fairs in a general Synod." Perriuy p. 239. 

" In former times the Synod met once a year, generally in the 
autumn ; in times of persecution, during the winter." Latterly 
it has met only once in five years. They are not permitted to 
meet now in the capacity of a Synod, only as they petition the 
government, and obtain a grant. This they can do as often as 
they please ; but they have to pay a tax of two hundred and 
forty dollars, to the government, for a permission to hold one 
session of the Synod. At such a cost as this, so poor a people 



42 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

as they are cannot afford to meet oftener than once in five years 
The Intendent of Pignerol, with his secretary, always attends 
each session of the Synod, whose duty it is to watch, lest some- 
thing be done contrary to the interests of Komanism. Also to 
see that no subjects are treated of except those " mentioned in 
the petition addressed to the government, to obtain permission 
to hold the meeting." They not only have to pay a heavy tax 
for the privilege of meeting, but have a guard over them while 
in session. They have too, to state in the petition to the govern- 
ment what topics they wish to consider ; and no others can be 
introduced. The first business of the Synod upon meeting, after 
prayer by the Moderator of the last assembly, is the election of 
a new Moderator, Moderator-adjunct, and Secretary, and also 
two Elders to attend the meetings of the new Table. The Synod 
has the general oversight of all the interests of the Church. " It 
attends to the education of the people, the erection of churches 
and school-houses ; and also has the care of the poor." Besides 
this part of its business, it has the supervision of all the churches 
and schools ; also the prerogative of enforcing discipline and of 
fixing the salaries of ministers and teachers. We have now 
presented the sum of the evidence pertaining to the form of 
church government adopted by the Waldenses. They have 
three ecclesiastical courts — the Consistory, the Table, and the 
Synod ; all of which, with their respective powers and duties, 
have been explained. We are indebted to the pen of the Kev. 
Robert Baird, D.D., for most of the knowledge we have of their 
church government. He spent some time amongst the Walden- 
ses several years ago, in their own native valleys ; and what he 
gives us, is from actual observation, or oral instruction. We 
have now gone through with some of the distinctive doctrines 
of the Waldenses, and presented their j)eculiar form of church 
government. We find that they differ essentially, in the subject 
of Baptism, the mode of Baptism, and in the form of church 
government, from their '^ so called" spiritual descendants — the 
Baptists. As Presbyterians, we make no such high pretensions 
to a regular succession from the Apostles, as some others do ; and 
yet I believe that we could as easily trace this succession from 
Calvin, on through the Waldenses, as some who claim very great 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 43 

antiquity for their origin. I notice a Baj)tist writer in Belcher'^ 
History of all Denominations who says, that the Baptists have 
reason to be thankful to Mosheim for saying that the origin of 
the Baptists is hid in the " depths of antiquity/^ If he would 
give us all that Mosheim says in this connection, about their ori- 
gin and antiquity, it might be possible, that they would not have 
so much reason to be thankful. First, because Mosheim says 
this of the origin of the '' Anabaptists or Mennonites,'' a people 
so fanatical and wild, that it would not be much credit to any 
body of Christains to claim. Second, because this boasted an- 
tiquity, extends no farther back, than the commencement of the 
Keformation under Luther. For the benefit of the " thankfur' 
ones I will give the quotation in full. " The true origin of that 
sect which acquired the denomination of Anabaptists by their 
administering anew the rite of baptism to those who came over 
to their communion, and derived that of Mennonites from the fa- 
mous man to whom they owe the greatest part of their present 
felicity, is hidden in the depths of antiquity, and is of conse- 
quence, extremely difficult to be ascertained. This uncertainty 
will not appear surprising, when it is considered that this sect 
started up suddenly in several countries at the same point of time 
under leaders of different talents and different intentions, and at 
the very period when the first contests of the reformers with the 
Eoman pontiffs drew the attention of the world, and employed 
the pens of the learned, in such a manner, as to render all other 
objects and incidents almost matters of indifference.^" 3Iosheim's 
Church History, pp. 490, 491. Mosheim, in speaking of the Bap- 
tists of England, says, "It is, however, probable that they derive 
their origin from the German and Dutch Mennonites, and that 
in former times they adopted their doctrine in all its points." 
Mosheim, p. 500. Nearly every Baptist writer in quoting this 
'^ depth of antiquity," from Mosheim, commits two errors: first, 
they don't tell us that he is not speaking of the Baptists at all, 
but make the impression that he is ; second, they don't tell us 
how shallow the depth of this antiquity is. If this writer thinks 
the Baptists ought to be thankful to Mosheim for the bit of en- 
couragement he gives them — I thinh he ought to quote him cor- 
rectly. 



44 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 



CHAPTER YII. 

In this chapter we shall only give some documents of the Old 
Waldenses of ancient date, which show the purity of their doc- 
trines and practice during the dark ages. 

"Ancient Confessions of the Faith of the Waldenses, copied 
out of manuscripts bearing date 1120, four hundred years before 
the time of Luther, and Zwingle and Calvin, and seventy years 
before Peter Waldo/' 

" I. — We believe and firmly hold all that which is contained in 
the twelve articles of the Symbol, which is called the Apostle's 
Creed, accounting for heresy whatsoever is disagreeing, and not 
consonant to the said twelve articles. 

"II. — We believe there is one God, Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost. 

" III. — We acknowledge for the holy canonical Scriptures, the 
books of the Holy Bible. (Each one is here named in proper 
order. 

"IV. — The books above-said, teach that there is one God Al- 
mighty, all- wise, and all-good, who has made all things by his 
goodness ; for he formed Adam in his own image and likeness ; 
but that by the envy of the devil and the disobedience of the 
said Adam, sin has entered into the world, and that we are sin- 
ners in Adam and by Adam. 

" V. — That Christ was promised to our fathers who received the 
law, that so knowing by the law their sin, unrighteousness, and 
insufficiency, they might desire the coming of Christ to satisfy 
for their sins, and accomplish the law by himself. 

"VI. — That Christ was born in the time appointed by God the 
Father — that is to say in the time when all iniquity abounded, 
and not for the cause of good works, for all were sinners, but 
that he might show us grace and mercy as being faithful. 

"VII. — That Christ is our life, truth, peace, and righteousness, 
as also our pastor, advocate, and priest, who died for the salva- 
tion of all those who believe, and is risen for our justification. 

" VIII. — In like manner we firmly hold that there is no other 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES -.ND ALBIGENSES. 45 

meditator and advocate with God the Father, save Jesus Christy 
And as for the Virgin Mary, that she was holy, humble, and full 
of grace ; and in like manner do we believe concerning all the other 
saints — that being in heaven, they wait for the resurrection of 
their bodies at the day of judgement. 

"IX. — We believe, that after this life there are only two places, 
the one for the saved and the other for the damned, the which 
two places we call paradise and hell, absolutely denying the pur- 
gatory invented by Antichrist, and forged contrary to the truth. 

" X, — We have always accounted as unspeakable abominations 
before God, all those inventions of men, namely, the feasts and 
vigils of saints, and the water which they call holy ; as likewise 
to abstain from flesh on certain days, and the like, but especially 
their masses. 

" XI. — We esteem for an abomination, and as anti-christian, all 
those human inventions which are a trouble or a prejudice to the 
liberty of the spirit. 

" XII. — We believe that the sacraments are signs of the holy 
thing, visible forms of the invisible grace, accounting it good that 
the faithful sometimes use the said signs or visible forms. How- 
ever, we believe and hold that the above said faithful may be 
saved without receiving the signs aforesaid. 

"XIII. — We acknowlege no other Sacrament than Baptism and 
the Lord's Supper. 

"XIV. — We ought to honor the secular powers, by subjection, 
ready obedience, and paying of tribute. 

This Confession is a fair sample of the doctrine of the Wal- 
denses, upon the points w*hich it touches. 

Perrin gives no Confession of theirs which teaches an opposite 
doctrine. 

"CATECHISM OF THE ANCIENT WALDENSES, FOR 
THE INSTRUCTION OF THEIR YOUTH. IN EIGHT 
PARTS.'' 

(The date of this is 1100.) 

"Part I. 

^^ Minister. If one should demand of you, Who are you? what 
would you answer.? 



46 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

^^CMld. A creature of Grod, reasonable and mortal. 

^^Min. Why has Grod created you? 

^^Ans. To the end that I might know him and serve him^ and 
be saved by his grace. 

"ilfm. Wherein consists your salvation? 

'^Ans. In three substantial virtues, which do necessarily be- 
long to salvation. 

''Min. Which are they? 

^^Ans. Faith, hope, and charity. 

^'Min. How can you prove that? 

^'A7is. The Apostle. writes, 1 Cor. xiii., 13, Now abideth faith, 
hope and charity, these three. 

''Min. What is faith? 

^'Ans. According to the Apostle, Heb., xi., 1, It is the sub- 
stance of things hoped for^ and the evidence of things not seen. 

"Jfm. How many sorts of faith are there? 

^'Ans. There are two sorts, a living and a dead faith. 

^'Min. What is a living faith? 

'^Ans. It is that which works by charity. 

"iff m. What is a dead faith? 

^'Ans. According to St. James, that faith which is [without 
works is dead. Again, faith is nothing without works ; or a dead 
faith is to believe that there is a God, and to believe those things 
concerning Grod, and not to believe in him. 

"Part II. 

^'Min. What is your faith? 

'^Ans. The true Catholic and Apostolic faith. 

''Min. What is that? 

^'Ans. It is that which is the result or symbol of the Apostles, 
is divided into twelve articles. 

"Min. What is that? 

^'Ans. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, etc. 

^^Min. By what meatis can you know that you believe in God? 

^^Ans. By this, that I know and observe the commandments 
of God. 

^'3Im. How many commandments of God are there? 



OF THE OLD WALBENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 47 

^^Ans. Ten, as is manifest in Exodus and Deuteronomy. 

''Mm. Which be they? 

''Ans. Hear, Israel, I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt 
have none other Gods before me. Thou shalt not make any 
graven image, nor the likeness of anything that is in heaven, etc. 

"ilfm. What is the sum or drift of these commandments.?^ 

"Ans. It consists in these two great commandments : Thou 
shalt love God above all things, and thy neighbor as thyself. 

"Part III. 

"Jfm. What is the foundation of these commandments, by 
which every one may enter into life, and without the which foun- 
dation, none can do anything worthily, or fulfill the command- 
ments.? 

"Ans. The Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the Apostle speaks, 
1 Cor. iii., Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, 
which is Jesus Christ. 

''31m. By what means may a man come to this foundation.?' 

"Ans. By faith, as saith Peter, I Peter, ii.. Behold I lay in 
Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believeth 
on him shall not be confounded. And the Lord saith, he that 
beleiveth hath eternal life. 

"Min. Whereby canst thou know thou believest.?* 

"Ans. By this, that I know him to be true God, and true man, 
who was born, and who hath suffered, etc., for our redemption, 
justification, and that I love him, and desire to fulfill his com- 
mandments. 

"Min. By what means may one attain to those essential vir- 
tues, faith, hope, and charity.? 

"Ans. By the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 

"Min. Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost.? 

"Ans. Yes, I do believe. For the Holy Spirit proceeds from 
the Father and the Son, and is one person of the Trinity ; and 
according to the divinity, is equal to the Father and the Son. 

"Min. Thou believest God the Father, God the Son, and God 
the Holy Ghost, thou hast therefore three Gods. 

"Ans. I have not three. 

"Min. Yea, but thou hast named three. 



* 



48 an epitome of the doctrines and practic e 

"Part IY. 

^^Ans. That is by reason of tlie difference of the persons, not 
hj reasons of the essence of the divinity. For although there 
are three persons, yet, notwithstanding, there is but one essence. 

"ilfm. In what manner dost thou adore and worship that God 
on whom thou believest? 

'^A7is. I adore him with the adoration of an inward and out- 
ward worship. Outwardly, by the bending of the knee, and lift- 
ing up the hands, and bowing the body, by hymns and spirit- 
ual songs, by fasting and prayer. But inwardly, by a holy affec- 
tion, by a will conformable unto all things that are well plea- 
sing unto him. And I serve him by faith, hope, and charity, 
according to his commandments. 

^'■Min. Dost thou adore and worship any other thing as God? 

^^Ans. No. 

"ilfm. Why? 

^^Ans. Because of his commandments, whereby it is strictly 
commanded, saying. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and 
him only shalt thou serve. And again, I will not give my glory 
to another. Again, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall 
bow before me. And Jesus Christ saith. There shall come the 
true worshippers, which shall worship the Father in spirit and in 
truth. And the Angel would not be worshipped by St. John, nor 
St. Peter by Cornelius. 

"ifm. After what manner prayest thou? 

^^Ans. I pray rehearsing the prayer given me by the Son of 
God, saying. Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. 

*'ilfm. What is the other substantial virtue? 

'^Ans. It is charity. 

^^Min. What is charity? 

'^Ans. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit, by which the soul is 
reformed in the will, being enlightened by faith, whereby I be- 
lieve all that ought to be believed, and hope all that ought to be 
hoped. 

"Part V. 

"71/m. Dost thou believe in the holy Church? 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 49 

"Ans. No, for it is a creature ; but I believe there is one. 

^^Min. What is that which thou belie vest concerning the holy 
Church? 

'^Ans. I say that the Church is considered two manner of ways, 
the one substantially, and the other ministerially. As it is con- 
sidered substantially, by the Holy Catholic Church is meant all 
the elect of Grod, from the beginning of the world to the end, by 
the grace of God, through the merit of Christ, gathered together 
by the Holy Spirit, and*fbreordained to eternal life ; the number 
and names of whom are known to him who " has elected them ; 
and in this Church remain none who are reprobate. But the 
Church, as it is considered according to the truth of the minis- 
try, is the company of the ministers of Christ, together with the 
people committed to their charge, using the ministry by faith, 
hope, and charity. 

"Jfm. Whereby dost thou know the Church of Christ.? 

'^Ans. By the ministers, lawfully called, and by the people 
participating in the truth of the ministry. 

'^Min. By what marks knowest thou the ministers.? 

^^Ans. By the true sense of faith, by sound doctrine, by a life 
of good example, by the preaching of the Gospel, and due ad« 
ministration of the Sacraments. 

"J/m. By what marks knowest thou the false ministers? 

^^Ans. By their fruits, by their blindness, by their evil works, 
by their perverse doctrine, and by their undue administration of 
the Sacraments. 

^'Min. Whereby knowest thou their blindness? 

'^Ans. When not knowing the truth, which necessarily apper- 
tains to salvation, they observe human inventions as ordinances 
of God, of whom is verified what Isaiah saith, and which is 
alleged by our Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew, xv., This people 
honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in 
vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the command- 
ments of men. 

'^Min. By what mark knowest thou their evil works? 

^^Ans. By those manifest sins of which the Apostle speaks, 
Galatians, v., 21, saying. That they which do such things shall 
not inherit the Kingdom of God. 
4 



50 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

"■Min. By what marks knowest thou perverse doctrine? 

^'Ans. When it teacheth contrary to faith and hope ; such as 
idolatry as several sorts, viz, towards a reasonable, sensible, vis- 
ible and invisible creature ; for it is the Father alone, with the 
Son and Holy Spirit, who ought to be worshipped, and not any 
creature whatsoever. But on the contrary, they attribute to 
man, and to the works of his hands, to his word, or to his author- 
ity, in such a manner that men ignorantly believe that God is 
debtor to man by their false religion, ana satisfying the simony 
of the priests. 

"Part YI. 

^^Min. By what marks is an undue administration of the sacra- 
ments known.^ 

^'Ans. When the priests not knowing the intention of Christ in 
the sacrament, say that the grace and truth is included in the 
external ceremonies, and persuade men to the participation of 
the sacrament without the truth, and without faith. But the 
Lord chargeth them that are his, to take heed of such false pro- 
phets, saying. Beware of the Pharisees, that is to say, the leaven 
of their doctrine. Again believe them not, neither go after them. 
And David hates the church or congregation of such persons, 
saying, I hate the congregation of evil men. And the Lord com- 
mands to come out from the midst of such people ; Numbers vi. 
16 — Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch 
nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in their sins. And the Apos- 
tle, 2 Cor., vi., 14 — Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers. 
For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, 
and what communion hath light with darkness, and what con- 
cord hath Christ with Belial ? Or what part hath he that be- 
lieveth with an infidel.^ And what agreement hath the temple of 
God with idols.? Wherefore come out from among them, and be 
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and 
I will receive you. Again, 2 Thess., iii., 12 — Now we command 
you brethren that you withdraw yourselves from every brother 
that walketh disorderly. Again, Kev., xviii., 4 — Come out of 
her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye 
receive not her plagues. 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 51 

^^Min. By what marks are those people known, who are not in 
truth within the Church ? 

^^Ans. By public sins and erroneous faith, for we ought to fly 
from such persons, lest we be defiled by them. 

"ilfm. By what way oughtest thou to communicate with the 
holy Church? 

'^Ans. I ought to communicate with the Church in regard of 
its substance, by faith and charity as also by observing the 
commandments, and by a final perserverance in well doing. 

^'Min. How many things are there which are ministerial? 

^'Ans, Two, the word and the sacraments. 

^^Min. How many sacraments are there? 

^'Ans. Two ; namely. Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 

^^PaktYII. 

^^Min. What is the third virtue necessary to salvation? 

^^Ans. Hope. 

''Min. What is hope? 

^'Ans. It is a certain expectation of the grace and glory to come. 

'^M'in. By what means do we hope for grace ? 

^^Ans. By the Mediator, Jesus Christ, of whom John saith, 
(i., 17), Grrace comes by Jesus Christ. Again, We hope for his 
glory, who is full of grace and truth. And we all have received 
of his fulness. 

"J/m. What is that grace ? 

'^Ans. It is redemption, remission of sins, justification, adop- 
tion and sanctification. 

''3Itn. By what means do we hope for grace in Christ ? 

'^Ans. By a living faith and true repentance, saying, Repent 
ye and believe the gospel. 

^^Min. Whence proceedeth this hope ? 

''Ans. From the gift of God and the promises of which the 
Apostle mentioneth. He is able to perform whatsoever he pro- 
miseth. For he hath promised himself, that whosoever shall 
know him and repent, and shall hope in him, he will have mercy 
upon, pardon and justify, etc. 

"Min. What are the things that divert a man from this hope? 



52 AK EFITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

^'Ans. A dead faith, the seduction of Antichrist, to believe in 
other things beside Christ — in saints, in the power of Antichrist 
in his authority, words and benedictions ; in sacraments, relics 
of the dead, purgatory, which are but things forged and con- 
trived ; in teaching that faith is obtained in those ways which 
are opposite to the truth and are against the commandments of 
God, as is idolatry in divers respects ; as also by wickedness and 
simony, etc., forsaking the fountain of living watep given by 
grace, and running to broken cisterns, worshipping, honoring 
and serving the creature, by prayers, by fastings, by sacrifices, 
by donations, by offerings, by pilgrimages, by invocations, etc., 
relying upon themselves for the acquiring of grace, which none 
can give, save only God in Christ. In vain do they labor and lose 
their money and their lives. And the truth is, they do not only 
lose their present lives, but also that which is to come ; where- 
fore it is said that the hope of fools shall perish. 

"Part VIII. 

"ifm. And what dost thou say of the Virgin Mary ? For 
she is full of grace, as the angel testifies, I salute thee full of 
grace. 

^^Ans. The blessed Virgin was and is full of grace, as much 
as is necessary for her own particular, but not to communicate to 
others ; for her Son alone is full of grace to bestow on others,, as 
it is said of him, And we have all received of his fulness, grace 
for grace. 

"ilfm. Believest thou not the communion of saints ? 

'^Ans. I believe that there are two sorts of things wherein the 
saints communicate — the first substantial, the other ministerial. 
As to the substantial, they communicate by the Holy Spirit in 
God through the merit of Jesus Christ ; as to the ministerials, 
or things ecclesiastical, they communicate by the ministry duly 
performed ; namely, by the word, by the sacraments, and by 
prayer. I believe both the one and the other of these commu- 
nion of saintsr The first only in God, and in Jesus Christ, and 
the Holy Ghost, by the Holy Spirit, the other in the Church of 
Christ. 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 53 

^^Min. Wherein consists eternal life ? 

^^Ans. In a living and operating faith, and in perseverance in 
the same. Our Saviour says, (John xvii., 3), This is life eternal, 
to know thee, the only true Grod, and Jesus Christ, whom thou 
hast sent. And he that endures to the end shall be saved/' 

" This Gatethism, in the original language of the Waldenses, 
about the year 1100, and a French translation, is found in His- 
toire des Vaudois, by Jaques Brez, Minister of Middleberg^ 
Holland. Two volumes, Paris, 1796." Perrin, p. 219. 

It is now more than seven hundred and fifty years since this 
Catechism was wiitten ; which carries us back into the midst o 
the dark ages. And if there are expressions which do not meet 
our idea of refinement; or theological views not very accurately 
stated, it must be attributed to this fact. Those people weref 
then surrounded with ignorance and superstition. This Cate- 
chism and Confession of Faith gives us some insight into the 
theology of the Old Waldenses ; and also of their manner of 
instructing their children. The Waldenses were very careful of 
the religious instruction of their youth. Roman Catholic priests, 
who were sent amongst them by the Inquisition, would some- 
times interrogate the youthful ones as to their religion ; and they 
frequently acknowledged that they learned more of the Bible 
from these Waldenses than they had ever before known. They 
could repeat from memory great portions of the New Testament; 
and also a good deal of the more interesting parts of the Old 
Testament. Church history gives no account of any other peo- 
ple that ever studied the Bible as much as they did, and made 
it their constant and only guide. There have been individual 
persons who studied it as much ; but it was a general thing with 
the Waldenses. It is said in their history that it was nothing 
uncommon to find families in the most abject poverty; yet every 
member of those families, that was old enough, could read the 
Bible clearly and distinctly, and seemed to have a correct under- 
standing of its doctrines. This accounts for the almost miracu- 
lous preservation of those people from error and superstition du- 
ring the dark ages ; the Bible was their guide in faith and prac- 
tice ; and their children so thoroughly educated in that Book 



54 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE 

that impressions were made and the mind so completely filled 
with divine truth, that it was impossible for error and superstition 
to remove the one or displace the other. Another feature in the 
case is that they never entered into theological speculations. It 
is said of them that they admitted no doctrine into their Creed 
that they could not substantiate by plain passages o^ Scripture. 
Such a people as that, are on a sure foundation. They were also 
very careful as to the proper instruction of those who were to 
enter the ministry, as will appear from the following : ^^All those, 
say they, who are to be received as pastors among us, while they 
are yet with their parents, entreat us to receive them into the 
ministry ; and that we would be pleased to pray to God that 
they may be rendered capable of so great a charge. Which the 
said supplicants do only to show their humility. They are to 
learn by heart, all the chapters of Matthew and John, and all 
the epistles called canonical, a good part of the writings of Solo- 
mon, David and the Prophets. Afterwards, having good testi- 
monies of their learning and conversation, they are received with 
the imposition of hands into the function of preaching. The 
last that are received, must do nothing without the license of 
their seniors ; as also those that are first, are to undertake no- 
thing without the approbation of their companions, that every- 
thing may be done among us with order. The pastors meet 
together once a year, to determine of our afiairs in general coun- 
cil. Our food and apparel are willingly administered unto us, 
and as it were by way of alms, sufficient enough, by those whom 
we teach. The money which is given us by the people, is car- 
ried to the aforesaid general council, and is delivered in the 
presence of all. It is there received by the ancients, and part 
thereof is given to travelers or wayfaring men, according to their 
necessities, and part unto the poor. When any of the pastors 
fall into sin, he is cast out of our community, and forbidden the 
function of preaching.'' P err in, p. 49. 

We see from this the manner in which the Waldensian pastors 
were chosen and maintained in their appropriate work. Another 
interesting and important document of the Old Waldenses is 
called " The Noble Lesson." This document was " translated 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 55 

from an authentic manuscript in the original Waldensian lan- 
guage, dated in the year 1100, which was in the public Library 
of the University of Cambridge." Perrin. 

I will give the first section of this " Lesson" in full, and 
merely scan the ballance. 

''0, brethren, attend to this excellent lesson ! 

" We should often watch and pray, for we see this world is 
near to a close. 

" We should be very careful to do good works, seeing that the 
end of this world is at hand. 

^^One thousand and one hundred years are now completed 
since it was written, ^ It is the last time.' 

"We should desire little, for we are at the remnant. 

" Daily we see the signs in the increase of evil, and decrease 
of good. 

"These are perils which the Scriptures mention, and the same 
recorded in the Gospels, and confirmed in St. Paul's writings. 
No man living can know the hour of his death ; therefore, we 
ought to fear the more, because we are not sure whether we shall 
die to-day or to-morrow. But when the day of judgment comes 
every one will receive his full payment ; both those that have 
done evil, and those that have done good. For the Scriptures 
say, and we should believe them, that all men must pass by two 
roads, the good will go to glory, and the wicked to torments. 
But he that does not believe these parting ways should examine 
the Scriptures from the beginning, and there he will find, if he 
have understanding, that from the time when Adam was formed, 
few are the saved, in proportion to the others. 

"But whoever wishes to do well must begin by the love of God. 
He should likewise call on his glorious Son, the dear child of the 
blessed Virgin Mary. And on the Holy Spiiit which shows us 
the right way. 

" These three are the Holy Trinity, and the one God to whom 
prayer is due ; and he is all-powerful, all- wise, and all-good. 
We should often beg and pray that he would strengthen us to 
fight against our enemies, (the world, the devil, and the flesh), 
so that we may overcome them before we die. And that he would 
in his goodness give us wisdom to know the way of life, and to 



56 AN EPITOME OF THE DOCTKINES AND PRACTICE 

keep pure the soul that he gave us ; yea, both soul and body in all 
charity, so as to love the Holy Trinity and our neighbor as Grod 
has commanded. Not only those who do us good, but those who 
injure us. And we should ask for a steadfast hope in the King 
of Heaven, that at the end he may receive us into his glorious 
mansion. 

"This is hard to be received by the wicked, who love gold and 
silver, despise the promises of God, keep none of his laws and 
commandments, nor suffer the good to keep them, but hinder 
them according to their power." — Perrin, pp. 263-264. 

They speak next of the introduction of sin into the world, by 
the transgression of Adam, and that evil seed taking root in 
others, he thus brought death on himself and all his posterity. 
This act, they say, was a "bitter morsel.'' They speak imme- 
diately of Christ as the remedy. 

In this section they speak also of the evil tendency of man. 

The third section is devoted to the deluge, its cause, its re- 
sults, and the few that were saved. 

The fourth gives an account of the building of the tower of 
Babel, the confusion of tongues, the multiplication of languages, 
the judgment of Grod upon the five cities of the plain, and the 
rescue of Lot and family, and disobedience of his wife. 

The fifth is taken up in giving an account of Abram, the 
patriarch Jacob and his descendants, their bondage in Egypt, 
their wonderful deliverance, and the awful overthrow of their 
enemies at the Ked Sea. Also, the giving of the law at Mount 
Sinai, and its contents. 

The sixth section continues the account of the Jews, their 
idolatry and consequent captivity in Babylon, and their final re- 
turn to Jerusalem. Also, an account of the advent of Christ, 
the object of his mission, his baptism, and his command to "the 
Apostles to baptize the nations." 

The seventh section contrasts the Old and New Law, the 
Law of Moses and the Law of Christ. 

The eighth gives an account of the miracles of Christ, his 
teachings, his betrayal by Judas, his mock trial, his crucifixion, 
his burial and resurrection, and ascension to glory. 

The ninth relates to the day of Pentecost, the subsequent 



OF THE OLD WALDENSES AND ALBIGENSES. 57 

preaching of tlie Apostles, and tlie miracles they performed in 
the name of Christ. ^'Now, after the Apostles/' say they, "there 
were certain teachers who showed the way of Jesus Christ our 
Saviour ; and some of these are found even at this present time, 
but they are known to very few." Again, they say, ^^If any one 
loves the good, he must needs love and fear God and Jesus 
Christ. Such a one will never curse, swear or lie. He will not 
commit adultery, kill or cheat his neighbor. Neither will he 
take revenge of his enemies. Now such a one is called a Wal- 
dense, and said to be deserving of punishment.'' 

The tenth section relates to the practice of Romish Priests, 
the dupes who make confession to them, and the final punish- 
ment of both. 

The eleventh lays down the duty of pastors in preaching the 
Gospel to the people, praying with them, instructing them, and 
properly exercising discipline. Also, that men should confess 
their sins to God alone. 

The twelfth, and last section, speaks of three laws that we 
never should forget, to- wit : — the law of Nature, the law of Mo- 
ses, and the law of Christ. By these we should be governed. 
Also, of the coming of Antichrist, the resurrection of the just 
and of the unjust, the final judgment, the eternal glorification 
of the saints, and the eternal banishment of the wicked. 



I 



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APPENDIX. 



I wish now to give the evidence upon which the Baptists rely, ^ 
to prove that the Waldenses were Baptists, as I find it in detail 
in Belcher's History of all Denominations. Keader, you shall 
have it all. 

"To descant on the various proofs of declension, in what have 
been properly called ^the dark ages,^ would neither comport with 
the designs nor the limits of our w;ork. Sufl&ce it to say, that in 
the darkest night the Waldenses of Piedmont reflected the glory 
of Christ. To claim all the Waldenses as Baptists, is not the 
ambition of that body ; though they do maintain that the best 
of the Waldenses, in their best days, were Baptists. In sup- 
port of which they bring the following witnesses : 

"Dr. Wall, in his ^History of Infant Baptism,' speaking of 
the Petrobrussians, says: — ^ Withdrawing themselves about the 
year 1100 from the communion of the Church of Kome, which 
was then very corrupt, they did reckon infant baptism as one of 
the corruptions, and accordingly renounced it, and practiced only 
adult baptism." 

"Mosheim, speaking of Peter de Bruys, says — ^It is certain 
that one of his tenets was that no persons whatever were to be 
baptized before they were come to the full use of reason.' ^^ 

"Bishop Bossuet, a Catholic, complaining of Calvin's party for 
claiming Apostolical succession through the Waldenses, observes: 
'You adopt Henry and Peter de Bruys among your predecessors, 
but both of these everybody knows were Anabaptists.' ... 

"The Waldenses,' says Francowitz, ^scent a little of Anabaptism, 
but they were nothing like the Anabaptists of our times.' 'Yes, 



bU APPENDIX. 

replies Limborcli^ a learned Professor of Divinity in the Univer- 
sity of Amsterdam, ^to speak candidly what I think of all the 
modern sects of Christians, the Dutch Baptists most resemble 
both the Albigenses and the Waldenses/" — Belcher' s History of 
all Denominations J pp. 161-162. 

We have here the "witnesses" and their testimony. Keader, 
you must weigh this testimony with an unbiased mind, or you 
will certainly fail to see the "point.'' The writer of this sketch 
of the Baptist Denomination, for Belcher's History does not, 
indeed, claim all the Waldenses as Baptists, only the ^'besf of 
them in their ''best" days. Thank you, Mr. Baptist, for your 
exceeding great liberality. 

The Petrobrussians, it is claimed, withdrew from the Church 
of Kome about the year 1100, on account of her corruptions, and 
considering infant baptism one of those corruptions, practiced 
only adult baptism — therefore the Waldenses were Baptists. 
Profound logic ! An inquirer would like to know, what the with- 
drawal of the Petrobrussians from the Church of Rome had to 
do with the doctrines of the Waldenses. Were the Petrobrus- 
sians Waldenses, or the Waldenses Petrobrussians.^ No. What 
connection then between them.? None; more than that they 
both lived in the same age of the world. Mosheim, after speak- 
ing of the Cathari, says, "A much more rational sect was that 
which was founded about the year 1110, in Languedocand Prov- 
ence, by Peter de Bruys, who made the most laudable attempts 
to reform the abuses and to remove the supestitions that dis- 
figured the beautiful simplicity of the gospel ; but after having 
engaged in his cause a great number of followers, during a labor- 
ious ministry of twenty years, he was burned at St. Griles', in the 
year 1130, by an enranged populace, instigated by the clergy, 
whose traffic was in danger from the enterprising spirit of this re- 
former." There is the origin of the Petrobrussians. We have 
previously seen that the Waldenses had a very different origin 
from this. This writer quotes Bishop Bossuet also, who com- 
plains of Calvin's party for claiming apostolical succession through 
the Waldenses ; and that they must adopt Henry and Peter de 
Bruys. 

Henry, according to Mosheim, sprung up after Peter de Bruys; 



% 



APPENDIX. ' 61 

and the Waldenses were in existence long before either one o^ 
them. Bishop Bossuet's complaint don't amount to any thing 
more than a complaint. Neither of these men had any thing to 
do in moulding, or perpetuatiing the doctrines of the Waldenses. 
We are also favored with the remark of Franco wit z that the 
Waldenses " Scent a little of Anabaptism." It must be but little, 
I suppose, if we are to judge from William Jones' efforts to trace 
the " scent." This array of "witnesses" closes with Mr. Limborch 
and his candid confession. His opinion, against all the evidence 
that I have presented is a very small matter. The evidence upon 
which I rely, is purely historical. 

We have now before us the evidence, that we are asked to take 
and upon it believe that the Waldenses were Baptists. There is 
not much of it, but in order to be convinced, we must consider it 
overwhelming in its nature. I must confess, however, that it has 
not borne very heavily on my mind. If I could present no better 
evidence than this, I would simply say, " The Waldenses were 
Baptists, just because they were Baptists," as I have no proof, 
and you must not ask for any. 

Eeader, you have now presented in this pamphlet, the facts, 
taken from history, upon which we rely to prove that the Wal- 
denses were pedo-baptists. I have taken considerable pains in 
collecting the sefacts, that they might be presented in a condensed 
form for the benefit of a large class of persons, who would never 
see them in any general history of the Waldenses. It never in- 
jures truth to be investigated and scrutinized, and those who ar- 
rive at the truth in this matter, will come to the conclusion that 
the Waldenses were Pedo-hapUsts. All the evidence that I can 
find, goes to establish the fact. Mr. Jones wrote a labored his- 
tory to prove that they were Baptists, but signally failed. If 
they had been Baptists, there would have been no necessity for 
his extroj effort to prove it — no necessity for his garblings, misquo- 
tations and perversions. If they had been Baptists, Belcher cer- 
tainly could have produced better " witnesses," in his History 
of all Denominations, than he has done. I think he had better 
done as most Baptists do, say they were Baptists, and pass 
hastily on. 



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